Hawks boss Doswell: I didn’t want to see Wes Fogden leave

The former Pompey and AFC Bournemouth midfielder has swapped Westleigh Park for National League South rivals Dorking Wanderers.

It brings an end to a seven-year association with the club across two spells for the 32-year-old.

But Hawks boss Doswell stressed there had been no falling out between him and Fogden.

Instead, a 30 per cent cut in budget for the forthcoming season following the pandemic proved key to his sudden exit.

Fogden was one of the Hawks' highest earners and with Doswell bringing in midfield duo Godfrey Poku and Billy Clifford this summer, it proved impossible to accommodate all three.

Doswell stressed ideally he would have liked to have kept Fogden on board, but it was not viable in the current climate.

‘Essentially it was down to the budget,' he admitted.

‘It’s 30 per cent than last year and I think it’s well known that Wes has been one of the highest earners during his time here.

‘For me, I wanted to get a younger squad in for next year.

‘If we could have afforded everyone and kept Wes then that would have been brilliant - if I had last year’s budget it wouldn’t have been an issue.

‘But, ultimately, coronavirus and no income at the club for the past six months, it meant that when Wes and I were talking we just weren’t able to get together.

‘Do Barcelona want to lose Messi? No, they don’t.

‘Did we want to lose Wes Fogden? No, not really.

‘But you’ve got to look at the bigger picture rather than one person.

‘Wes and I haven’t fallen out, it’s just it is what it is.'

Fogden's final year of his Hawks contract has been taken on by Dorking chairman/manager Marc White.

It means no fee will be received for the player, but the club have got one of the higher earners off their payroll.

And Doswell wished the 'club legend' well following his departure.

‘Wes wanted another year as well on top of this year, that was another thing,' he added.

‘Ultimately, he’s been a fantastic player for the football club.

‘I’ve got to say as well, the football club has been fantastic to him.

‘It’s an easily used word ‘club legend’, but he certainly falls into the category of someone who’s been here for on and off seven years.

‘The biggest compliment you can pay him is the supporters absolutely loved him.

‘The reason for that is that he gave 100 per cent in every single game he was available and he was the most professional player you’d meet on and off the pitch.

‘I’ve got to be very clear on this, if there was a fifth midfielder that could have been allowed to stay in the budget under Wes’ terms, it would have been Wes.

‘But some hard choices have had to be made.'

Doswell has certainly brought the average age of Hawks’ squad down since last month’s play-off semi-final loss to Dartford.

Danny Kedwell, Nicky Bailey and Dean Beckwith - all 36 at the time - were among seven players released, and now 32-year-old Fogden has also left.

That leaves midfielder Andy Drury, who turns 37 this November, as the oldest member of the squad. Left-back Anthony Straker and midfielder Bedsente Gomis - both 32 - are the next oldest.