An early view of the season so far.

I haven't been to our last couple of games, namely the away cup game at Chertsey Town, and the recent league defeat at Walton Casuals on Saturday.

Information on the official site is scant at present, our regular away match reporter Rochester Valiant currently on cricket duties at his as yet, unnamed, local cricket side. Hopefully, he'll be back soon, his away day reportage having become an essential part of any Chats fans supporting experience over the last few years. The Medway Messenger ran a brief match report in today's edition, that has yet to make it to the online edition. Assistant Manager Mark Newson takes a view that we dropped our heads after Casuals' first goal, scored, along with their second, by Charlie Ide. Ide is a player who must be expected to bag a hatful of goals this season, his pedigree and some might say temperament detailed in the implicit in his wikipedia profile;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Ide

I predict he'll be the Ryman 1 South's top scorer this season. How can he not be?

We shouldn't be too glum about being undone by a team, who to the untrained eye should be as poor as ever, but in reality are now managed by Neil Shipperly, a son of the Medway Towns and highly experienced professional footballer. I imagine Casuals will be up there or thereabouts come the season's end.

Tomorrow sees the visit of one of those teams who conjure up all the glamour of the non-league game, Dulwich Hamlet. They boast former big names and a pink strip. They're usually a decent side, if unpredictable. I'd like to think we can turn them over tomorrow night. Matt Solly starts a ban for his sending off at Chertsey, and this should lead to a first start of the season for Lee Maskell. I'm a big fan of both players, Maskell plays with heart and talent, just like Solly. We need a win to stay in contention at the top, we're at that time of the season where, only three of four games in the wheat and the chaff start to seperate like foul milk... Tomorrow sees a full fixture list for the division, so we will still have a game in hand on most sides come 10pm tomorrow. We really need to start finding the net. Three goals in as many league outings this season is not at this time worrying, but the division looks as if its setting out an early stall for leaky defences. Joe Fuller, suspended for our last match, should return, and partner Callum O'Shea up front. Once we hit full strength, which we are far from at present, we should be unstoppable. And all that optimism...

I'll try to post an update on Wednesday on the outcome of tomorrow's match. Prediction: Chatham 3-1 Dulwich.

As an aside, assistant boss Mark Newson boasts Tottenham Hotspur among his professional clubs. Plenty of non league players and coaches name big sides in their CVs, but few are as interesting as Newson's. He was a regular throughout the 80s and early 90s at Bournemouth, and, in them days, lower league Fulham, before a spell at Barnet as their captain. Aged 35, and having never kicked a ball in anger in the top flight, he was signed by Spurs, to star in their much forgotten attempt at European glory, in the Inter-Toto cup.

And another Chatham Town meets the stars moment. Tricksy winger Nick Hegley boasted a top name Best Man at his recent wedding. Chris Kirkland. Buddies from their days as youth players at Coventry City. You never know. We might one day see Kirkland between the sticks at TOSC. He apparently wants to be a fireman when he quits the professional game. With their generous leave allowance and accomadating attitude to secondary employment, you just never know.