"It's funny how football works!! We (me and Darran) had actually went to the Thurrock v Brentwood game to watch a defender we were interested in bringing to Aveley!"

"The defender in question had a decent game to be fair but Mason was playing against him and he stood out from the word go!"

"His movement, vision and work rate caught our eye plus he scored. He was substituted at half time! We thought he must be injured but found out that he wasn't injured at all but just taken off!"

"We decided there and then to keep an eye on his situation at Brentwood & for the next few games he was on the bench. We put a 7 dayer in!"

Spillane then spoke to him after the seven days were up and instantly wanted to sign him after the first conversation.

"I Spoke to him when the 7 days were up and told him of the plans we had going forward here at Aveley and he decided to sign for us."

"There were quite a few things during my conversation with Mason convinced me he was the sort of player we were looking for and we were happy that he'd agreed to sign."

Mason couldn't have got off to a better start in the blue of Aveley bagging winner on his debut and he continued his scoring exploits.

"He got of to a great start for us by getting the winner away at Soham (where I'm told we'd never won before) and then getting both goals in our 2-0 win v Dereham, 1 v Hornchurch and yet another v Haringey Boro!"

"He'd impresssed enough for us to know we had a player who we thought had something "special" about him so I gave Terry Harris & John Still at Dag Red a call."

Spillane also had the same sort of conversation with John Still while managing Stansted Town and had a certain player called Dwight Gayle, now Newcastle United front man.

"Obviously a certain Dwight Gayle who had played for me at Stansted FC had signed for Dag Red so both John and Terry were interested & were willing to have a look at Mason. The rest as they say is history."

The Daggers have also agreed to loan Mason back until the end of the season.

"Fortunately Dagenham & Redbridge agreed to loan Mason back to us for the rest of the season and to be fair to Mason he was also keen to finish the season with us as well."

"We are, as you'd expect very pleased with this outcome. "

"We're also hoping that Dagenham bring there first team squad (inc Mason) to play a pre season friendly at the new Parkside Stadium as part of the deal."

"By the way the defender we originally went to watch? Hussain Jaffa who we eventually signed from Thurrock!! As I said at the start it's funny how football works!!"

Our next game is away at Dereham Town on Saturday 18th March.

FOUR GAMES LEFT AT MILL FIELD
27/03/2017: Bury Town, 7.45PM
31/03/2017: VCD, 7.45PM
8/04/2017: Heybridge Swifts, 3PM
17/04/2017: AFC Hornchurch