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New manager Josh Gallagher hopes a mix of last season’s squad, plus some old faces and new signings will be a recipe for success at Chertsey Town. The Curfews wasted no time in appointing
former Raynes Park Vale manager Gallagher on Friday, after previous boss Mark Harper agreed to leave the Southern League Premier South club by mutual consent the previous Sunday. And the
32-year-old can’t wait to get going at Alwyns Lane, where he will be joined by former AFC Wimbledon, Hampton & Richmond Borough and Raynes Park Vale goalkeeper Billy Bishop as his
assistant manager. “I’ve been dying to get back into football - I’ve missed it,” Gallagher said. “I felt that the Chertsey Town job was too good an opportunity to turn down. "Why? I
like what it brings. I like the club. I like the fact that there’s a great fan base. I like the way that it’s run well and it seems like everything is done professionally and proper, or at
least professionally and proper in a non-league way. “The club has good character to it; the ground has a feel to it. It’s always been a good atmosphere when we’ve played there. I’m really
excited to be part of it.” As a player, Chertsey were one of the few local non-league clubs that Gallagher, a tough-tackling central midfielder, didn’t play for. That includes Leatherhead,
Met Police, Chipstead, Walton Casuals, Epsom & Ewell, Redhill, South Park, Dorking Wanderers, Corinthian-Casuals, Farnborough, Abbey Rangers, Staines Town and, of course, Raynes Park
Vale. But he did nearly join the Curfews. “Kev Maclaren gave me a call when Chertsey were Step 5 and asked me to come along,” said Gallagher, who was born in Bookham but lives in Redhill. “I
was playing Step 4 at the time and didn’t want to drop down. I was enjoying it where I was I think, although now I’ve no idea what club it was. It could have been at any number of clubs
with my record. “Anyway, Kev asked me to sign and I said no and that year Chertsey won the FA Vase and the Combined Counties League – so that was a great decision from me! “I actually get
along with Kev very well and a lot of people have said we are very similar in the way we played football but also how we conduct ourselves at times on the pitch and off the pitch. “I’ve got
a lot of respect for Kevin and what he did at Chertsey. His Chertsey team were always difficult to play against. “I think there was something there and then Mark Harper then added to it. The
club has personality and identity. I’m looking forward to building on that and going on to compete at the top end of Step 3.” Since taking the job, Gallagher has barely been off his phone,
calling all of last season’s squad as well as potential new signings. However, his first signing was an easy one - his cousin Jordan, who left Farnham Town at the end of the season. “Jordan
is top secret - I don’t think anyone saw that coming,” the Chertsey boss laughed, before adding: “There was a fantastic togetherness and team spirit at Chertsey and I want to keep that, so
I’ve spoken to everyone I can from last season’s squad and a good number of them have agreed to stay on. “I wanted to add to it. With me coming in and what I bring to the table, I know that
I can add to it. “So I’ve been very, very much working hard at the core, keeping them on board, which I believe I have done, and then I’ve been looking to bring in other players that I’ve
worked with before at Raynes Park and also ones that I’ve been keeping tabs on, in other leagues. “So as well as Jordan, former Raynes Park midfielder Seanan McKillop and full-back Archie
Harland-Goddard have agreed to sign. “Then as far as the retained list so far, and this is as of Tuesday because I haven’t spoken to everyone yet, but there’s Alex Fisher, who was the
left-back, and Conor Lee, who’s a very versatile player and he’s got a fantastic left foot. “Jack Mazzone, who was the second highest goal-scorer in the league last season. He’s agreed to
stay and he’s someone I know well having previously played with him at South Park. Also Bill Montague, who plays attacking midfield, and Louis Birch, who plays in central midfield and from
what people say, is a little bit like me as a player. So I’m looking forward to working with him. “Then we have also brought back three club legends in Gary Abisogun, Ashley Lodge and Darryl
Harrison, who’ve spent two or three seasons at the club prior to moving on, higher up the pyramid. “I’d love to take credit for those three signings but all I did was ring them and tell
them my plans - Mark [Turner] and Steve [McPherson] did all the hard work and I really appreciate that.”