Buster Harradine to use experience to boost Histon

Buster Harradine will add valuable experience to Histon for the forthcoming Bet Victor Isthmian League, North Division campaign.

The 34-year-old attacking midfielder has arrived as the Stutes’ key summer signing, and has played at the higher level with Cambridge City, Soham Town Rangers and St Ives Town.

“He comes with a wealth of experience from where he has been before, the level he has played at and is a naturally left-sided player,” said Histon manager Lance Key.

“That helps us because we don’t have any real balance in that sense. We have people that play left-sided but they aren’t naturally left-footed.

“He has come in and played as many minutes as most in pre-season and done very well.

“He is a players’ player – he can play in three or four different positions.

“He knows he’s not going to play every game, he’s 34 now, but he has kept himself in good condition and knows a lot of the players within our camp anyway which helps the cause with the camarderie that we’ve got.

“He has fitted into it straight away and so it’s a good fit for both parties.”

Defender Charlie Lewis has also joined the club and, although he is set to head to the US for a scholarship, will provide depth when back in the UK.

Histon have also signed four of their young academy players on first-team forms – Dylan Pearce, Alfie Lawrence, Ryan McGillvray and Cory Marshall.

“They have all played part of our pre-season and all done very well,” said Key.

“I know that these lads are capable of coming into the side as and when needed.

“Hopefully they will get experience elsewhere first and foremost at Step 5 but we’ve registered them because we don’t want to lose them. It bodes well.”

He added: “With Buster coming in, the four youngsters that are very capable of helping out, Charlie helping out throughout the season – I think that’s pretty much where we are. I like to keep a close-knit squad which we did last year, and that paid dividends.”

In a quirk of the pyramid, Histon start their season in the FA Cup, extra preliminary round at Desborough Town this Saturday (August 10) – with their league campaign not getting under way until August 17.

“They will have had two competitive games before we play them,” said Key.

“It might give them an edge. It’s a bit bizarre. We play Heybridge on the first day of the season and they haven’t got an FA Cup, extra preliminary round to play so we’ve got the short straw I suppose but if you win the game then that’s the positive way to look at it.”