Beard to give released Newman second chance (From Surrey Comet)

Beard to give released Newman second chance

4:57pm Friday 1st July 2011 in Tooting & Mitcham By Graham Moody

Mark Beard believes new signing Lee Newman should be given the benefit of the doubt at Tooting & Mitcham after his release from prison.

The 27-year-old was convicted in 2009 of conspiracy to supply class A drugs after a raid on a house he shared with three other men in Brighton and given a four-and-a-half year sentence.

He was released today having served half of it and Beard moved quickly to sign the former PE teacher, who has an impressive record of 150 goals in 257 appearances.

"I have known Lee for six years and coached with him," said Beard.

"I know his character inside out and what happened to him was an injustice, he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"All he wants to do is get on with his life now he is out and make up for the two years he has lost by playing football and scoring goals."

Newman is not the only new signing who will link up with the squad when pre-season training starts on Tuesday.

Beard has also added striker Billy Dunn, 6ft 7in central defender Jordan Anderson, Simon Leckly, Ben Palmer and Crystal Palace academy graduate Dan Pringle.

Striker Dunn has impressed at Sutton United and Kingstonian in the past but has failed to settle anywhere, ending last season at Horsham.

"Billy is one of them who needs to get himself established somewhere and score some goals," said Beard.

"He is an excellent player and a Mitcham boy too so hopefully he can help us up and we can help him too now he has got his head together.

"It has been an interesting summer and everything is sorted and 95 per cent of the lads have stayed from last season which is what we wanted.

"We have added to that as well and considering a year ago at this stage we didn't have a team, it bodes well.

"It should be good and although I haven't got a lot of money, we have the same budget as last year, we are in a better situation."

Terrors' pre-season fixtures: 16 Raynes Park Vale (a), 23 Crawley Down (a), 26 AFC Wimbledon (h), August 4 QPR XI (h), 6 Boreham Wood (h), 16 Guyana national team (h)