Peterborough Sports make four big signings and add a former Peterborough United man to their coaching staff

Peterborough Sports have added four new players to their promotion-winning squad.
Connor Kennedy in action for Kettering Town. Photo: Peter Short.Connor Kennedy in action for Kettering Town. Photo: Peter Short.
Connor Kennedy in action for Kettering Town. Photo: Peter Short.

Southern League play-off final hero Peter Crook has turned a loan deal from Boston United into a permanent move, while former Posh defender Connor Peters, forward Kaine Felix and defender Connor Kennedy have also agreed terms for Sports’ first season as a National North League club.

Crucially Crook, Felix, and Kennedy all have experience of step two football. Felix and Kennedy are recent skippers of Guiseley and Kettering Town respectively.

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Sports have also beefed up their backroom staff with former first-team manager, and ex-Posh and QPR defender, Chris Plummer becoming head coach. Last summer’s marquee signing Michael Gash will coach as well as play.

Kaine FelixKaine Felix
Kaine Felix

Lewis Webb has stepped down as Sports’ coach after helping Dean manoeuvre Sports to multiple promotions.

Dean said: “The chairman (Grant Biddle) deserves an awful lot of credit. I was panicking a few weeks ago, but he’s really come good for the club. We’re still a tiny club at this level, but he gives us a fighting chance against much bigger fish.

"Crooky was at the top of our target list so I was delighted to get that one done. Connor is an outstanding local prospect after 11 years at Posh, while we’ve had our eye on Kaine for a long time. He lives in Peterborough and has proven ability at the level at Boston, York City and Guiseley, where he was captain, and he’s a really good age (26).

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"Connor is an proper player at the level & we’re delighted to have secured his services from Kettering Town. He is another who captained his team last season and he’ll stand up in the tough moments. He’s a leader and he’ll be a top addition.

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"I’ve worked with Chris Plummer before and he will really help us. Added to that he’s a great guy, who enjoys a beer, it can surely only lead to happy days!

"Lewis Webb had been with us since the very beginning and has been a fantastic servant to the football club. Circumstances mean he can’t continue with us right now, but the door will always be open to him in the future.”

Chairman Biddle added: “We could easily have said let's stick with those players who got us up, but we know the step up is huge so needed to add quality across the squad. Some tough decisions ahead for Jimmy, but that's what is paid for and he will not hesitate to make those calls.”

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Inspirational skipper Richard Jones heads a list of 16 players from last season’s Southern League promotion-winning squad to have been retained for the club’s first crack at step two football.

Included in the retained list are former Posh players Lewis Elsom and Jordan Nicholson. Nicholson suffered a broken leg in the second-half of last season, but should be fighting fit for the start of the league season on August 6.

Forward Maniche Sani was another to miss a large chunk of last season with knee ligament damage, but he is also now fit and raring to go.

The 16 players from last season to have been retained are: Richard Jones, Dan Jarvis, Isaiah Bazeley, Ryan Fryatt, Dan Jarvis, Dion Sembie-Ferris, Josh McCammon, Michael Gash, Maniche Sani, Jordan Nicholson, Mark Jones,Josh Moreman, Lamine Kaba Sherif, Luke Warner Eley, Lewis Elsom and Lewis Hillard.

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A 17th player from last season’s squad is expected to re-sign once logistical problems have been overcome.

Sports management team: Assistant manager/Physio: Dan Ruscillo, Head Coach: Chris Plummer, Player Coach: Michael Gash, GK Coach: Nick Conroy, Sports Scientist: Ant Coombe, Analyst: Ammar Quadeer, Ass Analyst: Harry Howarth, Ass physio: Kelly Rayner, Kit manager: Paul Beeston.

Sports will have numbers and names on the back of their shirts next season for the first time in the club’s history.

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