Kentish Football 
Gibbons praises Whitstable for their good-will towards injured keeper - EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
Tunbridge Wells’ assistant manager Steve Gibbons, 35, is expected to don the gloves for the third time this season against Croydon on Saturday following a sickening accidental injury sustained by veteran goalkeeper Alan Rogers at Whitstable Town at the weekend, writes Stephen McCartney.
Westerham based goalkeeping coach Rogers, 59, was forced to start his fourth game of the season in the Kent League clash against champions-elect Whitstable Town at the Belmont on Saturday as the struggling Culverden Stadium club are enduring a goalkeeping crisis.
Their first choice, former Dartford goalkeeper, James Simpson is ruled out with a long-term injury and their recent signing from Croydon, Stuart Robins, has a virus.
The unbeaten league leaders were cruising to a 4-1 victory when Rogers bravely smothered the ball at Marcos Perona’s feet towards the end of the game.
“It was just one of those,” Gibbons explained EXCLUSIVLEY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk today. “Alan smothered the ball and the striker’s shin caught his head.
“He had the ball in his hands and rolled over on his back and took a clout. Everyone gathered around him straight away and his legs were twitching.
“The referee stopped the game straight away. Our physio ran on and attended to him and Martin (Farnie) went onto the pitch. We wanted to look after him. No matter how old they are when they take a whack on their heads you have to look after them.”
“They carried him off but he wanted to walk off. He had his arms around people’s shoulders and carried him off chair style.
“In the dressing room he was quiet. All the boys were concerned as we’re Whitstable’s management team. Mark Lane, their goalkeeping coach, waited with Alan and our physio until they went in.”
Wells’ Pembury based physio, Andy Hall, was by Rogers’ side throughout his ordeal.
Gibbons said: “Eventually when he came into the dressing room, he sat down and we told Andy to sit down with him all the time and Alan did look quite pale.
“Then, in the clubroom, Alan had a drink in the bar and he seemed allright. But everyone was concerned that he was pale and sitting down instead of standing up as he usually does.
“After about fifteen minutes people were saying he can’t drive his van back home and there was something definitely not right.
Gibbons praised a couple of Whitstable Town supporters who came to help.
One of them was Whitstable Town’s Supporters’ Club secretary, Mike Finch.
Unfortunately Gibbons didn’t get their names but wanted to thank the pair, a man and a woman, for their help during such a traumatic time.
Gibbons said: “We decided that we should call an ambulance but we didn’t want to tell Alan because he didn’t want the fuss.
“Some of their fans were still outside the bar and one guy called an ambulance for him. The guy and the lady waited for the ambulance.
“When the ambulance came they assessed Alan sitting in the chair.
“He had pain all the way down his left shoulder and his chest. He couldn’t put his hands on his lap and Andy held his hand and tried to keep him chatting.
“They put a neck brace on him and gave him gas as well and made the decision to move him to hospital in Margate.
Rogers was, however, allowed to leave hospital on Saturday night but Gibbons emotionally thanked the Belmont club for their assistance during the ordeal.
He said: “The supporters were fantastic. The guys who actually helped us, I didn’t get their names and their management team were extremely concerned.
“You always hope the other side react the way they did, which is helpful. You hope you get that kind help and when it actually happens you appreciate it.
“Everyone was top class, asking us to keep in touch to let them know Alan’s situation - they are a top class football club.”
Whitstable Town, a professionally run football club both on and off the pitch, will be deservedly playing Ryman League Division One South football in August.
Marc Seager’s side, unbeaten in 21 Kent League fixtures, have only lost to Margate (FA Cup) and Sussex County League side Oakwood (FA Vase) and are expected to clinch their first ever Kent League title.
The Oystermen have eleven games left and are 13 points clear of second placed Croydon.
But Gibbons admitted that his club will be sad to see them leave the Kent League.
“It will be a massive lost,” he said. “Not only the way they play football but the way that they conduct themselves.
“We took an absolute pounding. They were the better side. They’re top of the league and they took their chances.
“We were 2-1 down just before half-time, then they went and scored another goal to make it 3-1 and we’re cruising really.”
Tunbridge Wells, meanwhile, are second from bottom in the Kent League table, having collected just two wins and three draws from their 19 league games.
And Gibbons is sick to death hearing other managers praise his team when they only have Sporting Bengal United below them in the table.
“Tell us about it! I’ve said in my website notes the league table doesn’t lie but everyone says “we can’t believe where you are in the league.”
“But when you get injuries, especially the goalkeeper Jimmy Simpson, he had a shaky start to the season but turned the corner in the games leading up to when he was injured, that set us back.
Gibbons, however, admitted off-the-field issues has not helped team morale.
“We want to get as high as we can obviously but all the opportunities to do anything have fallen to the wayside after we lost to Thamesmead in the cup.
“That was our only ray of light for the season but we just need to sort ourselves out. Get all the bits and bobs off the pitch sorted. We want to tell the playing staff which direction the club’s going.”
Croydon are expected to visit Culverden Stadium next Saturday in another tough fixture.
“We’ve had those runs where we’ve had VCD, Thamsmead, Whitstable and now we go into another top side and with not the best form in the world,” said Gibbons.
But following Saturday’s incident, Gibbons invites Ryman League newcomers Whitstable to Culverden Stadium for a pre-season friendly as a gesture of good-will.
“I just wanted to make sure it went on record, especially on a website that gets more coverage than our own, to thank Whitstable for what they did.
“They are a decent football club run by decent people. Both managers go a long way and they’re good mates. A pre-season friendly would help because they always bring a few people with them but the trouble with pre-season friendlies is we can’t get onto our pitch.”
Visit club websites:
Tunbridge Wells v Croydon
Kent League Premier Division
Saturday 24th February 2007
Kick Off 3:00pm
At Culverden Stadium, Culverden Down, Tunbridge Wells
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