Bly Spartans has the potential to be a Kent League club, says departing boss Matt Hume

BLY SPARTANS’ manager Matt Hume says he wants to fulfil his ambition of guiding the club up to the Kent Hurlimann Football League - before stepping down after five years' at Rede Court Road.



The Strood outfit have spent most of the season at the summit of the Kent Invicta League and they can move five points clear of second-placed Phoenix Sports if they beat in-form Sutton Athletic at home on Tuesday night.

The Sutton-at-Hone outfit go into the game on the back of six successive results and Hume is expecting a battle against a side in sixth-place and have reached the final of the Kent Air Ambulance Intermediate Challenge Shield, when they will play Haart of Kent County League Division One side University of Kent on 31 March.

“Tough one because although we played them at the beginning of the season it was a tough, physical game,” said Hume, who’s side are unbeaten in five league games.

“It’s difficult to know what side they’re going to bring up to us on a Tuesday night with work commitments and stuff like that at this level.

“I think we have to look at every game and try to win every game. I’m not worried about what everyone else is doing as you could take your eye off what you’re doing.

“All I’m trying to get the lads to think about is to win Tuesday’s game and win that before we look at Saturday’s game and the week after.”

Hume insists his side will clinch the wins they need in their last remaining seven games to ensure they clinch promotion into the Kent Hurlimann Football League.

He said: “Any games that we play now, we don’t even think about whose playing (elsewhere).  We get on with our game and see what happens afterwards.

“We didn’t play too well against Lydd in big spells, but for the last 30 minutes we played to the potential I know we can play.

“But if we take that into the game on Tuesday night, I’m very confident about every team we play against.

“Now it’s trying to get the best out of the players for the last seven games and I think that will be the same for Phoenix, who are a very good side. 

“It’s who performs and who’s playing well will win this League, I think.”

“Sometimes it can go against you when you’re top all year because every time you’re playing any team throughout the year they raise their game because their playing a side top of the League.

“There’s certain times when we’ve dropped points when we deserved to win games and we just haven’t finished teams off but that’s in the past and now we just have to keep focusing on each game and believing how good we are.

“At the beginning of the season we were unstoppable.  We had a blip over Christmas and we knew what the problems were.   We had issues at the back when we had injuries.

“It’s great to be involved in. It’s if we can keep the players on the pitch instead of injuries and can we perform.  Hopefully we’ll carry on doing well.”

Bly Spartans are searching for a new manager for next season and Hume, 42, wants to leave on a high note.

“This is actually going to be my last year managing,” said Hume.

“I let the club know and the players know a few weeks ago.  We are in the process of trying to find a new manager for next year.

“From my point of view I really want to finish on a higher position as we can and the lads want to do that as well running in and the lads are wanting to do that as well.

“I feel I need a break.  I’ve been at Bly now for five years and it’s time for someone else to take the reins and take it forward.  It’s just personal reasons really. You know it’s time.  You’ve done all you can and it’s time for someone else to have a go at it and that’s literally all it is.

“Winning promotion, that’s always been my ambition.   This will be my fifth season.  From my mind-set I could see the ambition of the club and I believe it’s a Kent League club and it’s got the potential to be a Kent League club.”

“If I can manage that, that will be something I’ve fulfilled. It’s taken a bit longer than I would have hoped.  If we can do that, it’s fantastic for the club and for myself.”

Visit Bly Spartans’ website: www.blyspartansfc.co.uk

Bly Spartans  v  Sutton Athletic
Kent Invicta League
Tuesday 13^th March 2012
Kick Off 7:45pm
At Rede Court Road, Strood, Kent ME2 3TU