Ashford's ambitions match mine, says Lovell - EXCLUSIVE

Steve Lovell spoke of his excitement about taking over the Ashford Town manager’s job - following his shock and swift move from Ryman League Division One South rivals’ Sittingbourne last night, writes Stephen McCartney.

Lovell sent his Sittingbourne players out to maintain their recent impressive winning streak over local rivals Chatham Town at Maidstone Road last night.

And following their impressive 3-1 win - Chatham Town haven’t defeated the Brickies since 28^th October 2003 - Lovell dropped the bombshell to his players that he was leaving.

“Roughly, it was overnight,” Lovell explained EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk tonight.

“I’ve been talking to Ashford for the last, it hasn’t been long. It’s recently when it’s all come to head.

“I spoke to (Sittingbourne chairman) Andy Spice after the game and let him know and (Ashford Town owner) Don (Crosbie) spoke to Clive (Walker) and as far as I’m concerned, it was done very quickly.”

“I was asked to do the job at Ashford and I was asked if I’d like to do it.

“I said I would, it was done today so things could be sorted out with my side of the coin with Andy Spice.

“I spoke to Andy after the game last night, and Ashford’s situation had to be sorted out.

“Once that got sorted out, I spoke to Ashford and said that’s what’s going to happen.”

The Welshman admitted that Ashford Town’s ambition enticed him to make the shock, swift switch.

“It’s ambition,” he said. “I spoke to them they’re a very ambitious club and want to go places and want to back me all the way to do it.

“When you go to a club that wants to back you and reach your goal, it’s a great position to be in.”

But Lovell feels his successor will have the tools to enhance Sittingbourne’s position, leaving them in fifth place in the table after 12 games with 22 points - just four points off top spot.

“I had ambition but it’s how far can I take Sittingbourne with limited resources, and Andy knows this,” said Lovell.

“They’ve been brilliant to me, Sittingbourne, they’ve done everything they can in their power to make it successful.

“To be honest, I’ve done everything I can with what I had.

“Fifth in the league on goal difference, I’ve left the club in a great position and whoever comes in can build on that, hopefully, and take the club forward.”

Despite his shock move, Lovell admits there no animosity between the two Kent clubs.

“It was done amicably,” he said. “Sittingbourne have no problems with me leaving, we’ve left on good terms because they’re all my friends down there and they have been (for) a long time.

“All I can do is wish them all the best and wish them well being successful, which they have been this year.”

It seems however, that Clive Walker and Steve Nolan have both been left in the dark.

Ashford Town issued a statement this morning, explaining that “Clive Walker will stay on at the club in a coaching and scouting role”, but Lovell revealed tonight that he’s bringing in his assistant Rob Udburg with him to his new club.

He said: “He’s going to come and help me, he’s been at Sittingbourne for the last 18 months, and we’ll see how it goes. We’ve got our first training session Saturday morning.”

And on Ashford’s current playing staff, Lovell said: “They’ve all been given a chance. I had them watched last night against Whitstable (a game that they won 3-1), they’re all talented players at the football club and all there for a reason.

“They’re there because they’ve been chosen to give everything to Ashford. I will make sure that will be the case. People who don’t want to give their all for me, Rob, or Ashford Town, will have no place at the club.”

“It’s an exciting time for me, I’m really looking forward to the task.

“It’s a new challenge for me, one that I’m very experienced at with the amount of years that I’ve been managing in non-league and one that I’m very aware off before I go into it.

“The plans that Ashford have got mirror what I first had at Sittingbourne, the ambition and the drive then, that I had, has not changed one bit now, and that was like fourteen years ago.

“I’ve been involved in management and coaching at non-league level for that amount of time, and this one, I’m just as enthusiastic about this one, as I am the first one.”

Lovell revealed that Sittingbourne’s players didn’t know about his departure until after last night’s victory at Chatham Town.

“I didn’t speak to the players until I spoke to Andy Spice, the chairman, after the game,” Lovell said.

“I spoke to Andy Spice as soon as the whistle went. I told him the situation, he was brilliant, as he always is and he wished me all the best and thanked me for everything I done for the club and I went and told the players.

“They listened to what I said and their reaction was of shock obviously. I’ve had, I don’t know how many phone calls, wishing me all the best.

“I worked very hard to try and make them better players and we had a great relationship.”

Lovell, 47, lives in Rainham, Kent, works for Gillingham Football Club as their football in the community officer, takes charge of his first game, at Chipstead, next Tuesday night - their next match.

Meanwhile, Sittingbourne secretary, Mr John Pitts revealed that the club have arranged a meeting tomorrow night to discuss “the way forward.”

But the Brickies are not bitter about losing Lovell to one of their local rivals.

“Basically we wish Steve the best of luck at Ashford Town,” said Mr Pitts.

“I’d like to thank him for everything that he’s done over the years in two spells at Sittingbourne.

“We realise he’s ambitious and we hope he can fulfil his wishes at Ashford.”

Mr Pitts added: “We hope to keep most of the squad together and under a new manager try to battle for at least the play-off’s, which we’re quite confident that we can do, after last night’s display at Chatham, the best display of the season, that was many people’s opinion.”

Mr Pitts revealed that players Anthony Hogg, Joe Dowley and Lee Richmond, who was promoted as Lovell’s assistant manager after his promotion from reserve team boss recently, will take charge of the club’s trip to Corinthian Casuals on Saturday.

“We’ve got a meeting tomorrow night and we’re going to discuss the way forward,” said Mr Pitts.

And Mr Pitts is upbeat about the future, adding: “Basically we’re an established senior club in Kent. We feel we’ve got the potential to go higher and feel we’ve got the players to do it.

“There’s no doubt Steve is leaving behind the basis of a good squad, whoever will take over, he’ll gain a good squad to work with.

“We should have someone who knows the Kent non-league scene.”

Visit club websites:

www.ashfordtownfc.co.uk

www.sittingbournefc.co.uk

All our Articles are under copyright to Stephen McCartney - www.kentishfootball.co.uk.  We grant Kent club’s permission to use this article for their websites and or match day programmes. However, to publish elsewhere, please telephone 07979 418 360 to discuss terms.