Billericay Town boss Gary Calder hopes to have found the perfect recipe for success in the Ryman League Premier Division - by signing two players from Dagenham and Redbridge, the club which won the championship last season.

Ex-Daggers to join the New Lodge set-up on two-year deals are highly-rated 20-year-old defender Jeff Woolsey and goalkeeper Paul Newell, who has a wealth of experience at non-league and Football League level, most notably in the latter case with Southend United and Leyton Orient.

Woolsey, with Arsenal and Brighton earlier in his career, was, in fact, on loan to Billericay for a very successful spell in the closing months of last season.

Calder and Town chairman Rod Moore admitted that Town had made a five-figure joint offer for the services of Woolsey and one of the top strikers at this level of the game, Paul Cobb, from the Victoria Road club.

Cobb, at least for the immediate future, will stay at Daggers as they attempt to make their mark at Conference level, but Calder has fought off the attentions of a number of other top non-league outfits to capture the services of Woolsey.

Said Calder: "As far as I'm concerned it was no coincidence that we showed vastly improved form, and enjoyed a big finishing push up the table, after Jeff came to us."

Understanding of the situation is that Billericay bid around the £15,000 mark for the services of Woolsey and Cobb and would be prepared to pay around the £12,000 mark if the much-coveted striker were to become available to join them.

Cobb, despite his immense scoring power, was not a first team regular at Dagenham towards the end of last season - but it would obviously have represented a huge gamble on the part of Daggers' boss Gary Hill to have dispensed with the services of his top goal star.

However, if Dagenham do get off to a reasonable Conference start with him out of the side, Cobb could well be heading down New Lodge way before the season is very old.

High hopes - Billericay Town chairman Rod Moore, left, and manager Gary Calder have great expectations for next season after their recent twin signings

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