Daish voices his concerns over training facilities and budget

Saturday 22nd May 2010

EBBSFLEET UNITED boss Liam Daish has expressed his feelings on the latest situation at Stonebridge Road in a mail shot to the club’s supporters, writes Stephen McCartney.

It has been a miserable past 12 months for the Fleet boss, as he had to build a virtually new squad from scratch last summer and was working with a restricted budget.

As a result, the Kent club lost their status after eight years in the top-flight of non-league football, and Daish, who has one year to run on his contract, has told the club to buck their ideas up so he doesn’t have to go through the same trauma again.

“Firstly I'd like thank everyone for sticking with us through last season and hopefully the season approaching,” said Daish.

“I'd like to add my views on the football side of things and maybe leave the financials to Duncan and Phil. That’s not to say I have no views on the on the Youth, PASE, Commercial, Community, admin etc, but I think for now I'll concentrate on the football side of things which hopefully is the main reason people got involved in the club in the first place.

“Last year was extremely difficult in the first place. From the back end of 2008/09 season, after a gruelling finish, I lost all of the squad bar three players, (Lance) Cronin, (Michael) Gash and (Darius) Charles.

“A 43 week budget was given to me of £4,000 which, I was told, would improve through donations e.g. Friends of The Fleet etc. I was forced to sell Michael Gash to improve the budget and with extra donations to fund two players - Dean Pooley and Ricky Shakes. Both had been unable to find other clubs after being released by us in May.

“A decision by the then Chairman John Moules, to move training facilities from Fleet Leisure to AEI, with assurances that facilities and equipment, portable goals etc., would be ready for first day back of pre season, but this never happened.

“By October/November we could no longer train at AEI as the premises were subject to a takeover by a new owner. No showers or pitches.

“For the remainder of the season we had no base, limited tools to develop our young players who are still learning the game. Many were travelling long distances (e.g. Brighton, Basingstoke, Luton etc and in Scotty Ginty's case Peterborough) to train on whatever facilities we could find including 3G five aside pitches, occasionally full size 3G pitches at Dartford, local public parks and our Matchday pitch at Stonebridge Road – certainly Not ideal for our groundsman Peter Norton.

“Our portable goals, rehab and conditioning equipment, bikes, rowers, weights and machines were left at AEI collecting dust and are still there as we had and still have nowhere to put them.

“A training facility is essential to a full time set of players, fact. The players, who are young deserve a working environment to improve as a team and also individually, physically and technically. The players did not have that last year.

“Going forward this has to be addressed and made a priority if the club wants to remain full time.

“Going back to the budget. When I first arrived at this club a part time playing budget was in place of £7k a week, which is more than I was working to last year with a full time squad.

“Five years on and a bit of success and the odd player being sold along the way- i.e John Akinde, Gash and now Charles – I think I have proved I can remain competitive if I have basic tools.

“A facility to help develop a team and a budget to enable me to attract a type of player. Players such as Cronin, Smith, Rickets, Long, Bostwick, McPhee, MacDonald, Akinde, Moore, Charles, Stavrinou, Bailey, Ashikodi, Ginty, Viera ... the list goes on, can be found and developed if the basics are in place.

“If we have no facilities there is no decision to make on whether we go full or part time. Our budget and facilities I believe will reflect our desire and aspirations of getting back to the Blue Square Premier.

“We are entering a league of clubs desperate to go where we have been for the last nine ten years is it, and each will be doing everything on and off the pitch to make it happen. We must decide now what we want to do and be comfortable with it.”

In response to Daish’s plea, club secretary, Peter Danzey added: “Finding training facilities is paramount for the future and I can guarantee I will do all I can to achieve this.

“Also a working budget, which I believe if the team is doing well the gates will improve, a sensible admission price is essential as well in order to get fans in the ground.”

Visit Ebbsfleet United’s website: www.ebbsfleetunited.co.uk