Lewis: I'm in for the long haul
By Derek Bish

Friday 2nd July 2010

LEWIS Whyton believes that the Weymouth & Portland area’s best players won’t get a better chance to make it higher up the non-League pyramid than now.

The Portland United striker was one of many Dorset Premier League players invited to Weymouth Football Club’s pre-season training and is determined to make the breakthrough this year.

Whyton was joined by the likes of Chickerell United’s Andy Hall, Ashley Weeks and Richard Marshallsay, as well as fellow Blues Andy Perkins and Sam Clarke.

“We’ve got to work hard, get fit and take our chance by showing what we can do,” he said. “It’s probably the best chance we are going to get, with Weymouth not having any money.

“They can’t afford to pay big wages to people from out of town so hopefully they will have to look for local talent.

“It’s a bit strange to play for anyone else because I’ve been at Portland for seven years.

“But I know lots of the players who were down at training because we are all local, whereas it was a bit daunting last year.

“Hopefully though we can have a crack at playing for the first team.”