Match Preview

The new football season kicks off for Kings Langley on Tuesday evening with a pre-season friendly away at Silver Jubilee Park Stadium against Hendon FC.

After a disappointing campaign which culminated in relegation from the Southern Premier League Central last season, Kings will be hoping for a change of fortunes under new boss, Jordan Parkes, this year. An immediate bounce back into step three of the National League system being the number one priority for everyone at the club.

The surprise resignation of Chris Winton last month caused chairman Darren Eliot to move quickly to bring in the former Watford academy player as the new first team manager, with Mark Boyce subsequently appointed as his assistant.

Jordan will be well known to Kings faithful thanks to his recent spell playing in central midfield for the club. He signed as a player-coach in 2019 and showed his class on regular occasions, none more so than the unforgettable wonder-goal from inside his own half against Alvechurch last season. Here’s hoping that Jordan can create many more memorable moments from the dugout moving forward.

An excitement for the fanbase will be Jordan’s focus on developing young players. He started his coaching career all the way back in 2014 by creating an academy for players of all ages and abilities in the local area. The pre-season fixtures, starting with Hendon on Tuesday, will give us a glimpse at the tactics and brand of football we can expect in the season ahead from our new coach in his first managerial role.

As ever, the summer has also been busy with regard to the playing staff. Fan favourite Jorell Johnson has not only been retained, but also appointed as the club captain, while midfielders Sam Murphy and Sonny French, striker Rene Howe and winger Cheyce Grant have been brought in. Experienced forward Rene returns to Lango, having scored 10 goals for us in the 2018/19 season. Sam, meanwhile, will be looking forward to a reunion with some familiar faces against Hendon, having spent four years with our first pre-season opponents from 2014 to 2018.

Our last trip to NW9 resulted in a 2-0 victory on New Year’s Day in 2022, with Eduard Toiny-Pendred and Jack Wood scoring for Kings that day. We then completed a double against Hendon that April, winning a six-goal thriller at The Orbital Fasteners Stadium thanks to goals from Alfie Williams, Alie Bangura and Jamie Jellis.

The end result wont be the most important part of the match on Tuesday, but it will be fascinating to see how Kings shape up against their higher-tier opponents with a view to the season ahead.

By James Ablett