A note for Cray Wanderers supporters that pre-season training begins on Saturday 29th June at Flamingo Park, starting at 10.30 am. This is the first pre-season away from Hayes Lane and an independent club at our own ground and promises to be an exciting season. Subsequent training sessions are on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 6.30 pm.
Also, the pre-season game at Beckenham Town on Saturday 3rd August has been cancelled. This is due to Beckenham’s involvement in the FA Cup Extra-Preliminary Round that weekend.
Please also see here the current list of announced retained players ahead of pre-season.
Tom Bonner Central Defender
Tom is an experienced central defender who joined Cray Wanderers in November 2023 and made 22 appearances scoring twice against Haringey Borough and Hashtag United finishing the season in impressive fashion.
Tom came from the QPR Youth system and signed professional forms with Northampton Town in 2005 but went into non-league football joining Rushden & Diamonds after earlier loan spells at Bedford Town & Nuneaton Borough. He later went on to Hinckley United and Ilkeston before joining Dartford for the 2010-11 season and was part of their National South promotion winning side. He made 125 appearances up to 2013 before going on to Cambridge United where he won the FA Trophy in 2013-14 going on to play in the Football League for the U’s. He served Dover Athletic on loan during the 2014-15 season before joining Ebbsfleet United the following season making 37 league appearances. He returned to Dartford in 2016 and remained at Princes Park until 2023 announcing his retirement before joining Havant & Waterlooville this summer.
Tom has also represented Scotland at U19 level.
Nyren Clunis – Winger
Cray Wanderers are delighted to announce that Nyren Clunis has been retained for the 2024-25 season. Nyren is a versatile midfielder/winger who signed for the Wands from Kingstonian in the summer of 2022 and bounced back from injury last season to make 25 appearances scoring 8 goals.
Nyren came through the Dulwich Hamlet youth system and made his league debut in 2009 and went on to make an impressive 486 appearances for Hamlet scoring 117 goals and was part of two promotion winning sides and a former player of the year. Nyren had a testimonial game for Dulwich Hamlet in May 2023. After being released at the end of the 2019-20 season Nyren moved on to Carshalton Athletic and then joined Kingstonian at the start of the 2021-22 season going on to make 44 appearances scoring 3 goals.
Nyren has made 62 appearances for Cray Wanderers scoring 14 goals including scoring in the Isthmian Premier Playoff semi-final at Hornchurch in April 2023.
Anthony Cook – Midfield
Cray Wanderers are delighted to announce that Anthony Cook has been retained for the 2024-25 season for his fourth campaign with the club making him the longest serving player.
Hugely versatile midfielder Anthony has also played in a number of positions throughout his career and for Cray has also turned out as full back and even in goal on a couple of occasions. Anthony joined Cray in the summer of 2021 and made over a century of appearances for the club having made his 100th appearance in the Kent Senior Cup tie vs Phoenix Sports last September and has now made 139 appearances scoring 33 goals. He scored his 100th career goal against Cheshunt in March 2022. Anthony was also part of the Wands side which reached the Isthmian Premier playoffs for the first time in 2022-23 under Neil Smith.
A stylish midfielder who also played out on the wing made his league debut for Dagenham & Redbridge in December 2007, Anthony via an appearance on Sky TV’s Football Icon series had a spell at Cardiff City as a youth team player. After spells at Concord Rangers, Carshalton and Braintree Town he really came into his own after signing for Chelmsford City where he played for four seasons scoring 22 goals in 93 league games.
Anthony moved on to Ebbsfleet United for the 2013-14 season but then signed for Bromley in January 2015 where he helped Bromley to the Conference South title before returning to
Ebbsfleet in the summer of 2015. He remained at Stonebridge Road until 2018 and then after a loan spell at Woking signed for Dulwich Hamlet in the summer of 2018 and then onto Welling United ahead of the 2019-20 season.
We welcome Cookie back with the Wands for what will be a huge season for the club at Flamingo Park.
David Ijaha – Midfield
Cray Wanderers are delighted to announce that David Ijaha has been retained for the 2024-25 season. David had an outstanding 2023-24 season making 44 appearances either at the back or in midfield for the Wands, scoring twice and was voted Supporters Player of the Year as well as Manager’s Player, and Player’s Player of the Year.
David joined the Wands in September 2022 and the midfielder has made 73 appearances scoring four goals includingin the Isthmian Premier Playoff Semi Final at Hornchurch on 26th April, 2023. David has also shone as a central defender at times since joining the Wands.
David was a youth team player at Chelsea and Wolves where he played for the U18s before going into the non-league game with Harrow Borough in 2010. He went on to play for St. Albans City, Tonbridge Angels, Hayes & Yeading United and Whitehawk where he made 62 appearances between 2014-16 before being signed by Plymouth Argyle where he made three appearances during the 2016-17 season.
After a short spell at Wealdstone, David returned to Whitehawk for the 2017-18 season and then on to Welling United, Dulwich Hamlet and Dartford at the end of the 2021-22 season and another short spell at Whitehawk.
We welcome David back with the Wands for our historic first season at Flamingo Park in the Isthmian Premier.
Frankie Raymond – Midfield
Cray Wanderers are delighted to announce Frankie Raymond has been retained for the 2024-25 season. Midfielder Frankie had a very consistent 2023-24 season joining the Wands from Dulwich Hamlet making 40 appearances and scored four goals
Frankie adds considerable experience to the midfield and began his career in the Reading Academy spending loan spells at Horsham, Basingstoke Town, Eastleigh and Hungerford Town before joining Gillingham’s Development side in 2012. In 2014 he moved on to Eastbourne Borough making 70 appearances over two seasons in the National South. From there he moved into the Football League and the National League with Dagenham & Redbridge for three seasons making 56 appearances. He stayed in the National League in 2017 when he signed for Bromley for whom he made 171 appearances in four seasons including reaching the FA Trophy Final in his first season and reaching the National League playoffs in 2020-21.
The following season he signed for Boreham Wood and was part of the side which reached the 5th Round of the FA Cup making 42 appearances before joining Dulwich Hamlet at the start of last season.
We welcome Frankie back with the Wands for what will be a historic season for the club in our new home.
Shaun Rowley – Goalkeeper
Cray Wanderers are delighted that Shaun Rowley has been retained for the 2024-25 season. Shaun has had a fantastic two seasons with the Wands missing just one Isthmian Premier League game and his performances in goal earned him the Supporters Player of the Year for 2022-23 and runner up last season. Shaun kept fifteen clean sheets in 2022-23 as the Wands finished in 5th place in the league and reached the playoffs for the first time and eleven last season. Shaun is just one game away from making f100 first team appearances.
Shaun came through the youth system at Shrewsbury Town turning professional in 2005. Whilst with the Shrews he went out on loan to Halesowen, Chorley and Tamworth then signing for Halifax Town in 2018. From here Shaun went on to Solihull Moors and Kettering Town before joining Matlock in September 2020 spending the latter part of the 2021-22 season with Carlton Town.
The following players have departed the club and we wish them all the best for the 2024-25 season
Tom Beere, Jack Holland, Gary Lockyer, Sam Wood
