Read Blow for Harlow

Pitching In Southern League Division One Central club Harlow Town have received a blow ahead of the new campaign with the news that prolific marksman Alex Read has decided to hang up his boots.

The vastly experienced 34-year-old has decided to focus his attention on a degree qualification.

Read first played for the Hawks in 2013, scoring 52 goals in his debut season for the club before he followed that up with another 42 and 38 goals respectively in the seasons that followed.

He spent five seasons at the Arena between 2013 and 2018, before departing for Tonbridge Angels ahead of the 2018/19 season.

During his time with the Angels, Read helped steer the club to promotion to the Vanarama National League before having brief spells with Aveley, Enfield Town and Wingate & Finchley during the 2019/20 season.

In February 2020, the fan-favourite re-joined the Hawks for a second spell, lasting until the end of the season but after some time away he was back for his third spell ahead of the 2021/22 season.

In his time with Harlow, Read has netted 202 times, making him the club's record scorer ahead of Marc Salmon (198), and earning him legendary status amongst the Harlow supporters.

Meanwhile, Harlow manager Danny Chapman has continued to foster good relations with his club’s reserve side with Sam Bayon becoming the fourth player promoted to the 2022/23 first team squad to have previously played for the reserves, showing the strength of the relationship, with Bayon hoping to contribute to the success of the team.

Chapman has also signed centre-back Franklin Nzeh to add some more youth to the squad.

Nzeh comes into the squad having spent the last three years with League One side Cambridge United’s academy.

Nigerian-born but now local to Harlow, is no stranger to non-League football, having spent time on `work experience` with then-Northern Premier League Division One Midlands side Soham Town Rangers in 2021/22.

Harlow Town Web Site