Wynter Coup for Citizens

Marc Weatherstone, manager of Pitching In Southern League Division One Central club Welwyn Garden City, described his first, early pre-season capture for the club as “a real coup.’’

Weatherstone announced the signing of striker Dernell Wynter.

Wynter, 26, will join the Citizens permanently when they report back for pre-season training in late June.

He was one of a quartet of players from Weatherstone’s old club - Wingate & Finchley - who signed forms for WGC at the end of the season just finished, purely as cover in case of emergency.

He had signed for Wingate in early September 2022 from Hanwell Town, who he helped to promotion in 2021/22 after joining in February 2022 from Harrow Borough.

He had arrived at Boro in October 2020 from Southern Premier South rivals Chesham United having signed for the Generals from Isthmian Premier side Potters Bar Town in the summer of 2019.

He toured with Middlesex Wanderers and played in the Jackson International Trophy Four team tournament held in May 2019 in Jersey.

He has previously played for St Albans City and Braintree Town in the Vanarama National League South having started his career at Enfield Town after coming through the youth setup at the Queen Elizabeth II Stadium.

Wynter played 35 times for Wingate & Finchley last season, notching 6 goals.

He would seem a direct replacement for the club’s players` player at their recent awards evening, Cyrus Babaie, who has indicated to Weatherstone that he will be leaving the club, probably to join ex-Citizens manager Max Mitchell, now in charge at Potters Bar.

City have also lost impressive full-back Ryan Kirwan, who is joining Southern Premier Division South outfit Hanwell Town to be nearer his Uxbridge home.

Kirwan joined City in January from league rivals Walthamstow and numbers Enfield Town and North Greenford United as his other previous clubs.

Supporters’ favourite and their player of the year, Lewis Franklin, is another to indicate he will also leave Herns Lane to try and find more regular football, after failing to hold down a place consistently in the Citizens’ line-up in the last campaign.

Phil Ravitz

Welwyn Garden City Web Site