FA Vase Second Round Special: Farnie blasts school over Shea selection - EXCLUSIVE

Martin Farnie, the manager of Kent League side Tunbridge Wells, has criticised a local school for not allowing one of his highly-rated players to play in Saturday’s FA Vase second round showdown at league rivals VCD Athletic, writes Stephen McCartney.

Sixteen-year-old defender Justin Shea, a product of the club’s youth policy with local side Foresters, has been forced to play a County Cup tie for Tunbridge Wells Boys Grammar School in Sevenoaks on Saturday morning.

Angry Farnie insists the School should let his teenage prodigy play in the FA Vase tie, which is worth £1,000 in FA prize money to the winner, to enhance his “learning curve” in senior non-league football.

Farnie, who is without experienced stopper Wayne Balmer, who is nursing a foot injury, feels the school can do more to assist their local football club and feels let down by their actions.

“The school has pulled rank on us,” he said EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk after last night’s training session held at the club’s Culverden Stadium.

“I’m not very happy about the way they’ve dealt with it but they’ve pulled rank and he’s got to play for the school this weekend.

“Unfortunately because he’s still at school the school takes priority over what he does.

“For me the Vase is important, if it was a normal league game I would have backed them.

“The school have known for a couple of weeks about him but today they’ve decided to pull rank but I can’t do nothing about it.”

Farnie admitted that he’s only got the teenager’s best interests at heart.

“I think they’ve treated the boy badly,” he said. “We’ve treated him the right way. I said to him here weeks ago does he want to play for us or the school and he said to me on Monday that he “wants to play for us”.

“The school has put him under a lot of pressure today and said he’s got to play for them so he’s caught really.

“I’m really disappointed because there might be 250 people there on Saturday and it’s a big game and a good thing for his learning curve.”

Farnie, himself a highly-rated coach, formerly of Dartford, revealed there are more youngsters coming through the ranks.

“There’s about five kids in the youth team coming through,” he said. “Three or four of them are playing for the reserves on Saturday.”

Farnie knows that his side are due a win over the Green Machine at the Oakwood ground in Old Road, Crayford.

VCD Athletic defeated Farnie’s side in the Kent Senior Trophy final in April, winning on penalties after the game at Welling United’s Park View Road ground finished 1-1 after extra time.

“That’s gone, that’s done and dusted. Yes we deserved to win the final but we didn’t win it,” he said.

“Different season, different players, allright one or two players, but I don’t see no revenge. Just another game of football that we’ve got to win. Not got to win but we’ve got to give ourselves a chance of winning on Saturday with a good performance.

“It’s going to be tough,” Farnie warned. “I’ve read his report on your website today, very nice, very kind of Martin (Ford) all his words and that but it’s going to be really tough because they’re a Martin Ford side, organised, disciplined, strong at the back.”

Wells will need to be on their toes defensively as Vickers have two strikers that have played at a higher level - Leroy Huggins and Richard Sinden.

Farnie said: “They’ve got two lads up front which we really have to try and handle and I’ve got one or two injuries so we’re going in with a slightly weakened side.”

Tunbridge Wells have been underachieving this season but secured their first Kent League win of the season, a 2-0 win at Slade Green last Saturday and this was followed up with a 2-1 win at Erith Town in the Kent League Cup two days later.

They have, however, saved their best form for the FA Vase, netting 15 goals in their previous three rounds, knocking out East Grinstead Town (3-2), Farnham Town (6-1) and Pagham (6-1).

“We asked the players at training last week to get some form and confidence into Saturday,” said Farnie.

“I’m going to pick my most experienced side and we’ll go from there and see where it takes us.”

Despite still being at the foot of the table with just five points from their first eleven games, Farnie insists his side will climb off the bottom.

“I feel we’re going to climb up the league regardless of Saturday’s result,” he said. “I feel we’re too good to be in this position. We should have more than five points at this stage of the season.”

Tunbridge Wells’ skipper Jason Bourne, meanwhile, insists there is a score to settle after their heartbreaking cup final defeat.

The defender added: “After the cup final we’re going to be raring to go. They’ve got one up on us so we’ll be looking to even things up.”

* Having contacted the school and leaving a message on the answerphone this morning, we have yet received a reply.  The school can send us a statement by clicking on the CONTACT US button on the home page.



Visit VCD Athletic's website:  www.vcd-athletic.co.uk

Visit Tunbridge Wells' website:  www.tunbridgewellsfc.co.uk