NEW Whyteleafe manager John Fowler has rubbished claims he has persuaded the whole first team from his former club, Croydon, to follow him to Surrey.

Reports from Croydon suggested the entire Trams team, minus long-serving goalkeeper Francis Ameyaw, had decided to leave the Arena for life in the Southern Counties East League, but Fowler, who took over at Whyteleafe two weeks ago, says this simply is not true.

"I can only think that website has got the wrong end of the stick because I've taken five," Fowler said.

Of those five, one is the manager's son, Ryan, and the others are Jason Thompson, Jensen Grant, Taylor Smith and Tom Pratt.

"They said I have taken the whole team but I looked at it and really I've only taken JT, Jensen, Ryan, Tom and Taylor and that was it," Fowler continued.

"From my team last season I think three others went to trial at Tooting & Mitcham, they obviously wanted to try and play at a higher level and you have to respect that, and a couple went to Epsom. The whole team might have left but they didn't come with me.

"I was a bit surprised because in fairness, all the players that came with me to Whyteleafe were ones I took to Croydon in the first place."

Whyteleafe played their first friendly, and first game under Fowler, on Tuesday evening when they played Combined Counties League side South Park in a friendly.

Played across three 30 minute games, South Park won 3-2 overall but Fowler was pleased to have the opportunity to see his new team in action.

"In the first 20 minutes we played the youth teams and a few trialists," he said.

"They didn't know each others' names.

"There was a lot of 'oi, pass the ball' but it was a nice opportunity to look at some different players. In the second 30 minutes we had most of the squad minus Roscoe Dsane, and the second 30 was 1-0 to us, we looked far more confident.

"But I took 20 players down to South Park to have a look at them and give them an opportunity to show me what they've got, because there were a lot of players at the club I hadn't seen play before."

Leafe play Tooting & Mitcham in another friendly tonight (Thursday) and Fowler admits he will have to cut the squad down to around 16.

"There are a couple that I will tell they need to look elsewhere but I think I've got my squad," he added.

IT SOUNDS strange for someone who plays cricket all the time but I haven't watched much of the Ashes.

I've watched a few bits here and there but the television coverage is annoying me. Yes – it's a big competition for a tiny trophy, but the coverage is turning it into a huge epic gladiatorial battle where every hit is scrutinised.

It's a cricket match.

I love playing cricket, but if I'm honest I preferred watching the British & Irish Lions in action.

I just think the Ashes coverage has been over the top. Look at the Stuart Broad thing. I don't think it was any bad thing he left the decision up to the umpire.

Having said that, it was quite obvious he'd hit it to slip. I would have probably walked if it had been as obvious as it looked on the replays, but I wasn't standing where Broad was having to make a spilt second decision. Given the gravity of the situation, leaving it to the umpire to do his job seems reasonable.

I've heard some people likening Broad's decision not to walk to that of Tyson Gay and Asafa Powell's positive drugs tests, on the basis both incidents are cheating. What Broad did is not cheating.

Anyway.

With Surrey having a run of T20 games coming up, I have the week off to rest my hamstring after injuring it in a seconds game.

It felt fine against Notts but the T20 games give me the ideal chance to let it fully mend, then I'll look to do a little light gym work before I have a couple of seconds games coming up.

My aim is to get some good one-day cricket in for the seconds to give myself a good chance of some YB40 games when they come along, but I would love to play some more T20 too.

Unless I can get into the T20 team I might have already played my last game with the legend, on and off the pitch, that is Ricky Ponting.

It was great to watch him against Nottinghamshire. He's a bit good – the lad's got potential.

I love him, so it would be great to get another chance to bat alongside him.

A SPATE of dog poisonings in Shirley is "unlikely" to have been caused by anti-caterpillar pesticides, officials have insisted.

In June the Forestry Commission sprayed trees in Parkfields, next to Bethlem Royal Hospital, with a biological pesticide to kill an outbreak of fatally poisonous oak processionary caterpillars.

The Advertiser knows of four residents in neighbouring Freshfields who say their dogs fell ill soon after, suffering vomiting and blood in their stools. Some wondered whether the pesticide was to blame.

Alan Smith, whose eight-year-old boxer Ben is still ill, said: "If it had just been our dogs I would have put it down to coincidence, but there are three lots.

"The vet has done full blood test but they could turn anything up, which makes me think it might be something up there."

A Forestry Commission spokesman said the pesticide used was BT (Bacillus thuringiensis), which is derived "from a naturally occurring soil bacteria".

He added: "It is very safe for humans and all animals apart from some species of caterpillars, and it is highly unlikely to have caused dogs to become ill.

"It remains active in the environment for only a very short time after application, and its safety for other species is a key reason why it is our preferred treatment product."

An RSPCA spokeswoman said she was not aware of any cases of possible BT pesticide illnesses.

Jo Atkinson, social forestry manager at the Forestry Commission, said the same, adding the dogs' symptoms did not appear to match those of the mysterious Seasonal Canine Illness that appeared in 2009.

The caterpillars themselves affect dogs badly, but tend to cause rashes and throat problems.

In Shirley, meanwhile, residents remain baffled.

Dawn Skelton, owner of Lab-staff-cross Mush, 10, said: "He has been sick and had blood in his poo since two days after they sprayed the tree.

"The vet gave him some antibiotics, which appeared to stop it for a couple of days but then it started again."

Danielle Mead's family dog Cara has been showing similar symptoms.

She said: "Since they sprayed the stuff she has been really ill.

"Cara loves sticks; she picks up branches from anywhere and normally underneath the oak tree where the branches fall.

"It is sad: Cara's a really lovely family dog and we have had her for years."

The RSPCA spokeswoman added: "Never watch and wait in any case of suspected poisoning.

"If you suspect your pet has been poisoned, act fast and contact a vet for advice immediately."

THE sale of part of the Riesco Collection of Chinese ceramics is expected to get the go ahead next week.

The council's corporate services committee are being recommended to approve the sale of 24 items, which the council has said could raise £13 million.

The recommendation comes despite warnings from arts bodies that the sale could affect future arts funding to the borough.

It also ignores warnings from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) that Croydon's museum service could lose museum accreditation and that the fund could then claw back some or all of its £934,000 investment in the local service.

The council has said the £13 million would be ploughed back into cultural services with the bulk going towards the planned £20 million plus refurbishment of the Fairfield Halls.

The proposal has been universally condemned by cultural bodies but Steve O' Connell, cabinet member for finance and performance management, is fully suportive of the sale.

He said: "I think much of the criticism is misjudged."

As a Croydon old town resident (Abbey road) I have found with the last couple of months being asked by my work colleagues what is like to live in the area, popularity for Croydon old town has been growing steadily and now even more so after the completion of the Wandle park and the much anticipated "Croydon old town masterplan" with the new Morrison's also completed plus a MegaSainsbury's supermarket (Tesco have also thrown their hat in the ring by announcing a MegaTesco will replace the john Lewis on purely way) and the excellent transport links, Vue Cinema, South Croydon's restaurant quarter, and the new property development "south quarter" etc the area is fast becoming the area many had tipped it would be. With lovely spacious terrace Victorian houses with high ceilings and period features e.g. Sash windows, Original fire places, outside toilet, wooden floors etc,  (if kept by the owners) the big rooms are a result of these properties having a outside toilet and no bathroom in the house which was common  during the Victorian times. Also with both the Parish ChurchCofE Junior & Parish ChurchCofE Nursery and Infant achieving excellent Ofsted reports this has also attracted young couples wanting to start their own families. Even with the surge in popularity Croydon old town properties are still relatively within reach of young buyers given the average price of a property in Croydon old town is under £250,000 but prices are rising by the month so it will not be long before the homes in this area are out of the reach of those who are young and want an area to bring up their growing families.

So here's to Croydon old town the area which is quickly gaining its own unique identify amongst those who are in search of areas close to London but still affordable and with good investment potential.

SWELTERING temperatures saw Croydon become a sun trap this week – but essential public services are already starting to wilt.

Ambulance staff saw a spike in call-outs while Croydon Council announced on Wednesday that binmen would do their rounds an hour earlier to avoid the worst of the heat.

The borough basked in temperatures higher even than tropical destinations, such as Barbados and Tenerife.

But, in a touch of normality, some of the highest temperatures were in the south, in particular the Surrey border town of Coulsdon – where the mercury crept to 32C.

Its Chipstead Valley area regularly records some of the hottest (and coldest) temperatures in the country, luring plenty of sun-worshippers when the Advertiser passed through on Wednesday.

John Peace, 67, and his wife were settling down to a pint outside at The Pembroke pub.

"I love the sunshine. It makes me happy," said Mr Peace, of Coulsdon.

"I like the sun whether it is hot or cold but I love it when it is hot.

"This is ideal. The guv'nor here asked me if I wanted the blinds and I said no."

His wife of 36 years, Marie, added: "I like it, but not as much."

Bus drivers Sally Whitehead, of New Addington, and Ron Mintrim, of Sutton, were having a lunch-break cool-down in the Valley cafe terrace, joined by their friend Linda Rawlins.

Ms Rawlins said: "I was saying the earliest I could remember was the heatwave in the seventies and I was studying for my exams, and it was too hot for me."

She added: "I don't mind the heat but it is just too aggressive at the moment."

Ms Whitehead, 46, said she was a tanning fan during lunch – but deemed the heat a menace at work.

"We don't have any air-conditioning on the buses," she said. "It is like a sauna in there."

Linda Warwick, from Coulsdon, was scuttling between her home and the shops under the midday sun.

She joked: "I am just coming to the shops and then I am going to go home and get undressed."

For Steph Hunt, a senior stylist at Charlie Brown hairdressers, the weather was the "perfect preparation for her holiday" – to Egypt.

And for others, being in a sunny destination lifted fortunes as well as spirits.

Ray Wookey, owner of electric bike shop Cycling Made Easy, said: "Funny enough, I don't think people are very keen on buying bikes when it is raining."

These will include the chance to scale a seven-metre-high climbing wall, a Crystal Palace FC Foundation fastest shot challenge, professionally organised dance and exercise classes and an unusual chance to make a fruit smoothie by using pedal power provided by a specially designed smoothie bike,

There will also be plenty of people on hand in North End and the Whitgift and Centrale shopping centres to provide advice on how to keep your heart in top shape.

Croydon will become the ninth borough in London to sign up to the British Heart Foundation's (BHF) Heart Town initiative.

For the next two years the BHF and the council will be working together to offer residents and businesses support to encourage people to take responsibility for their health and wellbeing.

Heart and circulatory diseases are responsible for around a third of deaths in Croydon and the campaign will be focusing on education around how to prevent the diseases.

Planned educational programmes include:

Heart matters – a free service for keeping a healthy heart, including a magazine packed with support ideas.

Keeping your heart beating – a programme for schools, youth groups and nurseries which includes ultimate dodgeball

Health at work – encouraging staff to turn the workplace into a more active, energised environment through a range of practical tools and resources.

Councillor Margaret Mead, the council's cabinet member for adult services and health, said: "This is a fantastic initiative that will raise awareness in Croydon of heart disease."

To find out how to get involved in the initiative, contact the BHF on 07711 195746 or e-mail howej@bhf.org.uk

SWELTERING temperatures saw Croydon become a sun trap this week – but essential public services are already starting to wilt.

Ambulance staff saw a spike in call-outs while Croydon Council announced on Wednesday that binmen would do their rounds an hour earlier to avoid the worst of the heat.

The borough basked in temperatures higher even than tropical destinations, such as Barbados and Tenerife.

But, in a touch of normality, some of the highest temperatures were in the south, in particular the Surrey border town of Coulsdon – where the mercury crept to 32C.

Its Chipstead Valley area regularly records some of the hottest (and coldest) temperatures in the country, luring plenty of sun-worshippers when the Advertiser passed through on Wednesday.

John Peace, 67, and his wife were settling down to a pint outside at The Pembroke pub.

"I love the sunshine. It makes me happy," said Mr Peace, of Coulsdon.

"I like the sun whether it is hot or cold but I love it when it is hot.

"This is ideal. The guv'nor here asked me if I wanted the blinds and I said no."

His wife of 36 years, Marie, added: "I like it, but not as much."

Bus drivers Sally Whitehead, of New Addington, and Ron Mintrim, of Sutton, were having a lunch-break cool-down in the Valley cafe terrace, joined by their friend Linda Rawlins.

Ms Rawlins said: "I was saying the earliest I could remember was the heatwave in the seventies and I was studying for my exams, and it was too hot for me."

She added: "I don't mind the heat but it is just too aggressive at the moment."

Ms Whitehead, 46, said she was a tanning fan during lunch – but deemed the heat a menace at work.

"We don't have any air-conditioning on the buses," she said. "It is like a sauna in there."

Linda Warwick, from Coulsdon, was scuttling between her home and the shops under the midday sun.

She joked: "I am just coming to the shops and then I am going to go home and get undressed."

For Steph Hunt, a senior stylist at Charlie Brown hairdressers, the weather was the "perfect preparation for her holiday" – to Egypt.

And for others, being in a sunny destination lifted fortunes as well as spirits.

Ray Wookey, owner of electric bike shop Cycling Made Easy, said: "Funny enough, I don't think people are very keen on buying bikes when it is raining."

THE LEADER of a north Croydon mosque has asked police to consider whether the English Volunteer Force's rally could be moved to outside of Ramadan – the Islamic holy month.

Imam Muhammad Ashraf, of the Thornton Heath Islamic Centre, said he supported the democratic right of the protestors.

"We are in a democracy, freedom of expression they have the right to express themselves," he said.

But he added: "During Ramadan people will be frequenting the mosques more than usual, with children.

"More people will be coming and going and we do not want any confrontation. " The EVF are set to stage a protest on July 27 outside Lunar House against what it calls the "Islamification" of the UK.

Tariq Rasul, general manager of the Croydon Islamic Community Trust in London Road, said: "These organisations are anti-Muslim and their rhetoric is anti-Muslim.

"During Ramadan, as well as fasting, Muslims are also to refrain from not falling into any kind of bad behaviour.

"They are not supposed to have arguments or fight."

However, Shaiub Yusef, spokesman for the Croydon Mosque and Islamic Centre in Thornton Heath, said the timing was "neither here no there".

He said: "Of course we would rather this march was not going ahead – however, I think the community is strong enough in the Croydon area to not rise to that charge.

"We do not feel that the march should be banned – we fully respect everyone's right to march and demonstrate.

"The fact that it is happening in Ramadan is neither here nor there, really.

"I guess our only regret is that during Ramadan we might not be able to offer them things we normally would, such as a cup of tea. We are sorry for that."

IN MOST walks of life the offer of a pay rise is a cause for cheer, but for MPs its a minefield.

Croydon's representatives are no different and this week indicated they would not be going out on the tiles if the recommendations of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) were approved.

Last week, the IPSA recommended an above-inflation increase of more than £6,000 to an MP's salary, taking the basic wage to £74,000.

Both Gavin Barwell, MP for Croydon Central, and Steve Reed, MP for Croydon North, said they were fundamentally against an increase in pay.

However, they also both believed the proposals to raise the basic salary would be capped by reforms to expenses.

If approved, the recommendations would take effect in May 2015, when it could be possible neither MP is in the job.

Mr Reed said: "I think it would be very inappropriate at a time when other people's wage packets are going down, especially in its current form.

"But you have got to look at the package and there are other things they'll take away from MPs' expenses as well.

"Although I also don't think it will happen. The parties will all come out against it."

The 11 per cent hike comes at a time when public sector wages are being frozen at one per cent, although Mr Barwell also pointed to the expenses reforms.

He said: "You cannot justify paying us more when you are asking everyone else to take a one per cent pay rise.

"But if we get rid of a lot of expenses and increased the basic wage, it would become clearer to people what we are being paid.

"At the moment there are a lot of expenses everyone gets and that is not made clear to the voter.

"If I showed the Advertiser my expenses list, it would include the cost of my staff.

"I have always said, even before I was elected, that the people who work for MPs should be employed by parliament."

The IPSA estimates that although the pay rises would cost the electorate around £4.5 million, reductions in expenses and pension pay-offs would reduce that to just £500,000.

Richard Ottaway, MP for Croydon South, who is stepping down at the 2015 election, declined to comment because the recommendations will not affect him.