Rolls: Fans can give Terras a massive lift
By Derek Bish

Tuesday 2nd March 2010

GEORGE Rolls and Andy Harris have hailed the influence of Weymouth’s fans ahead of tonight’s must-win Blue Square South match at home to Staines Town (7.45pm).

It will be the first time the Terras have played at the Wessex Stadium since last week’s successful free-for-all match with Braintree Town – a game that ended in jubilation for the majority of the 1,222 crowd as Matt Groves popped up with an injury-time leveller.

Rolls and Harris hope those at the ground that night saw enough to encourage them to return and help Weymouth record three much-needed points in their battle at the bottom of the table.

“Last Tuesday wasn’t pretty but the lads did a job, got a point and I think after what the Wessex faithful had to endure against Basingstoke it felt like a win for most people,” said Rolls.

“It shouldn’t be hard for the players to lift themselves because that’s what they are paid for but if you get a thousand plus it gives them a massive lift and tells us the people of Weymouth do want us to be here.”

Although the chairman does not expect the crowd to be pushing 1,000 for the second Tuesday running he was keen to see fans coming back through the gates, especially with free entry still being offered to children until the end of the season.

However, he conceded that things must improve on the pitch for attendance figures to seriously turn around – even though the Terras have the sixth-highest average attendance in the division.

Manager Jerry Gill has experienced a tough start to life in management, but plans to use attack as his best form of defence in Weymouth’s desperate quest to pull off the Great Escape and that is something player/assistant-boss Harris has backed ahead of a run in he describes as “11 cup finals”.

“We are in a situation where we need points and need them urgently so it might be a case of having to use attack as the best form of defence,” said Harris.

He also hopes the Terras can draw on similar support to that they experienced in the dramatic 1-1 draw with Braintree Town last week.

“It was a great atmosphere with 1,200 people there and shows us that people in the town are willing to support the club,” he said. “The club is in a situation where we need all the support we can get and the players respond to that.

“If we can get anywhere near that figure again it would be great.”

Harris was appointed as Gill’s assistant after a brief spell as caretaker-manager, and the South African born midfielder hopes to be able to start enjoying life in the dugout more.

He said: “Obviously if we can get some more points on the board and wins under our belt it would make it more enjoyable but myself and Jerry are working hard to turn things round.

“I have the added incentive that I have to walk the streets of Weymouth and mix with the public.

“That gives me an extra determination to turn things round because I want to look people in the eye and say we are doing well.”

On-loan midfielder Ben Farrell (hamstring) remains at least 10 days away from returning, while Martin Slocombe (ankle), Pierre Joseph-Dubois (hamstring) and Josh Llewellyn (ankle) are also struggling.

Meanwhile, off the pitch, the Terras’ board is getting a foreign flavour to it with the appointment of Lijana Preidziuviene, Eugenius Tiskus, Inga Preidziuviene, Audrius Preidzius and Bronius Preidzius as directors, following vice-chairman Pranas Preidzius.

“We need to get six directors on the board and we are hoping to get some local people in,” said Rolls. “In the meantime we’ve got people in that we trust and are investing in the club.”

However, Companies House has not yet listed Rolls himself, but he explained: “I’ve still got shares at Cambridge United and I have to make sure I get clearance from the FA, which I’m waiting on, to say that I can hold a directorship at Weymouth.

“I’ve been trying to offload my shares at Cambridge and I’d imagine I’ll soon be okay to go on the board of directors.”

Terras (from): Sandercombe, McGuinness, Slocombe, Rose, Mawer, Brice, Frampton, Groves, Davies, Benbow, Reid, Radcliffe, Harris, Vincent, Foster, Joseph-Dubois, Llewellyn.