Fisher caretaker boss Rob Curtis: There still isn’t a budget at the moment because the club has got to get back on its feet first

FISHER joint-caretaker player manager Rob Curtis says the club will not have a budget despite ending its 12-year exile at the weekend.

The club have struggled both on and off the pitch since reforming in 2009 and playing their home games at Dulwich Hamlet’s Champion Hill Stadium after Fisher Athletic went bust.



Joint-caretaker joint-manager Rob Curtis scored Fisher's third goal during their home coming match at the weekend.
Photo: Fisher FC

They played their first game at St Pauls Stadium in Rotherhithe on Saturday, a stones’ throw from their former home at the Surrey Docks Stadium, which is now sadly a housing estate, beating newly-promoted Andreas Carter Joma Kent County League Premier Division side Farnborough Old Boys Guild 4-0.

Curtis and Luke Haidarovic have both been put in temporary charge after Dean Harrison quit the club on 13 July, while the club find a new manager, expected to be unveiled before Saturday’s last pre-season friendly, at home against Otford United, who play three levels lower.

Curtis, 23, who headed in Fisher’s third goal on Saturday, warned the new man at the helm, that the club will not be spending big this season.

He said: “We haven’t got a budget down here and when you do have some good players they’re not usually around for long so for any manager it has been hard to keep a consecutive team together.

“We’ve finally got that in place now from the last half of last season and that’s what we’re working towards so I put it down to that really. It hasn’t been easy for any manager and the club over the last few years at Dulwich, one with no budget, it’s not really home where as now we’re home. 

“Players’ just want to play for Fisher, simply because it’s Fisher now and it’s back home.”

Harrison guided the club to a bottom three finish and expectations will be as high as the Canary Wharf buildings that tower over the venue across the River Thames.

“There might be the expectation but it is a building process,” said Curtis.

“This will not be an easy place for teams to come and play, I can assure you that.

“I’m not saying we’re going to win the league. There’s teams in this league, they should be running away with it, with some of the players they’ve brought in and the money they’re spending it should be easy for them, if I’m honest.

“Teams know who they are don’t they? Whoever they are they won’t be coming here and getting an easy game, I can assure them that, and it won’t be a nice place for them to come.

“We’re not looking to win the league this year. We’re looking to build on what we’ve done and progress but you can’t expect this team to win the league this year.

“There still isn’t a budget at the moment because the club has got to get back on its feet first. It’s trying to do things the right way. It doesn’t want to start spending every bit of money it gets because sometimes six months down the line clubs are left in the lurch and it all goes wrong for clubs so they’re trying to do it the right way.

“Some of the players’ who want to play for this club, it’s simply for the love of it and not for money. You don’t want players’ who want to play for money. I think that’s wrong at this level of football.”

A club spokesman said Saturday’s opening game went well, although the crowd that watched Fisher’s homecoming was an all-ticket crowd of 114.

The club could only sell cold drinks inside the brick built clubhouse and was lacking tables and chairs but there was plenty of positives for the club.

“The game was a crowd control test fixture where the council gave us strict instructions to limit the crowd to about a hundred. 

“There was a council officer looking on as we were being monitored for our event handling.  I’m pleased to say all went well and the council officer was happy with what he saw.  It was a good day on Saturday and we will now boost our marketing drive to gain bigger gates.”

Fisher kick-off their Southern Counties East Football League campaign with a home game against Rochester United on 13 August.

Visit Fisher’s website: www.fisherfc.org