3rdjune05

Sampson: I didn't want to stay in Kent

KENT football's most successful manager, Tommy Sampson is relishing the chance to guide Sussex County League champions Horsham YMCA into Ryman League football in one year's time, writes Stephen McCartney.

The Gorings Mead outfit clinched the Sussex County League title but were denied the opportunity of promotion into the Ryman League first division as £160,000 worth of ground improvements weren't completed in time.

And it's the lure of helping the Sussex club to promotion into the Ryman League in his role of "club coach" that has persuaded Sampson to leave Kent football behind him - and only for petrol money.

"First things first, when I left Dartford, which was the end of January, I made a conscious decision not to take anything before the season finished," said the Maidstone based Sampson, who turns 51 in August.

"And in that time as well, which was probably three months I didn't want to stay in Kent.  For no other reason after sixteen years I just felt I would look for something else - I want to do something different."

Sampson has been very successful in the Garden of England as a player and as a manager.  Winning several honours whilst playing for Dartford, he turned to management with Tonbridge Angels (1 year) and Sheppey United (2 years) but success grew on him during the 1990's whilst at Herne Bay (5 years) and Deal Town (2).

During his time at those two Kent League club's he won the Kent League four times, the Kent League (twice) and the Kent Senior Trophy (twice) and who could forget his FA Vase success of May 2000 when Roly Graham's winner helped Deal Town become the first Kent side to win the competition, when they defeated Chippenham Town 1-0 in the last final underneath the Twin Towers.

Sampson then went on to manage Ashford Town, and spent four months out of the county with Boreham Wood in 2001 before managing his beloved Dartford before making the gut-wrenching decision to resign in January 2005.

"Kent has been great, it's a great county with some great clubs in it," he said.  "I had two concrete offers to stay in the county to manage and said no to both.

"It's difficult to say no to people as football is a strange game as it's very easy to end up with nothing.

"The Horsham YMCA thing came about because I know John Suter (their manager).  John is a highly respected man in the county, we are good friends, and played against eachother over the years."

Their last meeting came on the 5th September 2004 when Sampson's Dartford beat YMCA 5-0 in the FA Cup preliminary round at Stonebridge Road.  Two goals from both Jim Carter and Tostao Kwashi and a last minute strike from Tommy Planck - who went on to play for Kent League side Whitstable Town later in the season - ended the Sussex side's 100% start to the season but they recovered well to clinch the Sussex County League title by 15 points.

"They were on the verge of winning the Sussex County League but unfortunately the grading committee weren't going to give them time to do the building work at their ground," Sampson said.

"They are in the process of spending £160,000, on a complete new dressing room block area, turnstiles and all the work - I've been down the ground this week - is too late to get them promoted."

But Sampson wants to get accustomed to Sussex football for one year and help them achieve their ultimate goal - playing Ryman League football.

"John (Suter) wanted me to work alongside him as an equal partner, and that's what I an going to do," announced Sampson.

"I've insisted that John is the manager - he's been manager for 16 years - and I am going in as coach.

"I've already met all the playing squad and everybody is pleased as punch that they've won the league but they are all determined to win the league again and get promoted into the Ryman League.

"So that's what really persuaded me.  I wouldn't have dropped down a level, only for someone being focused on being successful."

Now will Sampson jump ship during the course of the season if he is offered another manager's role at a higher level?

"That's the acid test," he replied.  "Everybody's fear at my new club is I may leave to go somewhere else -  I've told people I am committed at Horsham YMCA for a year. 

"But I don't know anybody in football that says never - you can't say never.  John knows it will take something really good to prise me away.  I am a man of my word."

There is no doubt Sampson, who has left his role with BBC Radio Kent's Friday night sports programme,  will be back "home" in Kent in the not too distant future.