Farnborough FC

Alan Inns in action for Woking last season
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It's a coup to 'bring him Inns', says Boro boss

By Jon Couch
May 31, 2012

SPENCER DAY believes he has pulled off the transfer coup of the summer by landing Woking's title-winning captain Alan Inns.

The Farnborough chief unveiled the towering 30-year-old centre back at a Fans’ Forum on Wednesday night along with another of his new signings, Hampton & Richmond Borough striker Dave Tarpey.

Inns led the Cards to the Blue Square South title last season but opted not to commit himself to a nationwide Premier campaign under boss Garry Hill as he has recently become a father.

And Day admitted there was no-one more surprised than him to get the call from the former AFC Wimbledon defender.

“I did not think for a second I could bring someone of Alan Inns’s quality to the football club,” he said.

“He won every single header when we played Woking at our place on New Year's Day and I told him so in the bar afterwards.

“Alan is everything I like in a footballer, both on and off the pitch. If it was about money he wouldn’t be here, he just wants to play here. This is a major signing for the football club, a real coup.”

Sitting on top table alongside Inns on Wednesday was much-vaunted Tarpey, who renews acquaintances with the Boro boss following a two-month loan spell at Chertsey two seasons ago.

Tarpey is out of contract after three years at the Beveree, but an FA tribunal may rule that Hampton are due a compensation package.

“He’s another very exciting signing for us,” Day went on. “He scored 24 league goals in a team that finished second from bottom last season, so that tells you about the quality he has.

“He’s equally comfortable on the wing or up front and is one of those players that, if you’re having a bad day, will always keep defenders on their toes. I’m really pleased to be working with him again.”

In fact, Day was also hoping to introduce a third player to the fans on Wednesday, in the shape of Inns’ former Woking team-mate Tom Davis.

Midfielder Davis impressed during an 11-game loan spell at Kingfield from Carshalton earlier this season and is subject to a Blue Square South tug-of-war after failing to agree terms for a permanent deal with the Cards.

Day, however, is right in the mix having put an offer on the table for the 28-year-old and this week rated his chances of sealing the deal before Wednesday at “50/50”.

Day also revealed that he tried to sign Tarpey’s former Hampton team-mate Dean Inman, another player he worked with temporarily at Chertsey, but the centre back is currently embroiled in a complicated and drawn-out contract dispute with the newly-relegated Beavers, rendering any switch “unlikely”, according to the Boro boss.

Inns, Tarpey and possibly Davis will be joined for pre-season by a cluster of last season's squad, including Phillip Page, Steve Laidler and Adam Bygrave, who both put pen to paper on new deals this week, while the likes of Oli Treacher, Marcus Moody and Miles Smith are expected to follow suit.

“We've got a couple of other targets and three or four trialists coming in so I’m quite happy with what we’ve got bearing in mind we’re still in May,” Day said.

“I’d say we've done 80 per cent of our business already.”