Kentish Football 
HEAD TO HEAD: I wouldn't like to put my money on one or the other, says Tommy Sampson
Thursday 07th April 2011
TOMMY SAMPSON says both Hythe Town and Herne Bay should be congratulated for keeping everyone on the edge of their seats as the Safety Net Kent League title race edges towards an exciting climax, writes Stephen McCartney.
Scott Porter’s Hythe Town remain five points clear of Simon Halsey’s Herne Bay at the summit and with only five games left to play, the last month of the season will be nail biting to say the least.
It’s just a shame that only one of these two great clubs can only clinch promotion into the Ryman League at the end of the season and despite both sides playing a different brand of football, both camps should be congratulated on making this season’s Kent League title race exciting.
Who can forget Hythe’s magnificent FA Cup run earlier in the season as they became the first Kent League side for 53 YEARS to reach the First Round Proper, and despite losing 5-1 at Edgar Street, the trip was worthwhile, especially when Gary Mickelborough tucked home a memorable strike to go down in the club’s folklore for scoring in the First Round of The FA Cup.
Hythe extended their unbeaten run to twenty games with a goal-less draw at Herne Bay, who extended their unbeaten run to thirteen, last night. It was the first time this season that both club’s failed to score in a game.
Hythe welcome Holmesdale to Reachfields Stadium on Saturday, before finishing their campaign against Sevenoaks Town (away), Norton Sports (away), Beckenham Town (home) and at Tunbridge Wells on the final day of the season.
Herne Bay, who are playing catch up, welcome Sporting Bengal to Winch’s Field on Saturday, before finishing against Beckenham Town (home), Fisher (away), Holmesdale (home) and at VCD Athletic on 30 April.
The two title contenders play each other in the Kent League Cup Final at Folkestone Invicta’s Cheriton Road on Saturday, 7 May.
“It looks very exciting for an outsider,” said Sampson, who clinched the Kent League treble for Herne Bay in 1997.
“I’m sure Simon and Scott would rather like it a bit more simple, but to an outside it’s a great title race.
“It’s probably going to go to the last week of the season, even thought Hythe look like favourites but there’s still 500 minutes of football to play, between the two club’s there’s 1000 minutes of football, so anything could happen.
“It wouldn’t like to put my money on one or the other. I’ve got a leaning for Herne Bay, because of the emotional attachment I’ve got there.
“Scott’s done well. He’s only a young lad. I spoke to Scott this morning. He reminded me that he played for me with Kent’s under 18’s when I was helping out Darren Hare, about seventeen years ago.”
Hythe didn’t celebrate at the final whistle at Winch’s Field last night - Porter knows the title race is not over yet.
Sampson agreed, saying, “It can’t possibly be. There’s too much football to play, but it’s going to be heartbreaking for someone.
“It looks like the Kent League Cup Final will be a sort of play-off almost, who’s the best of the two. It will be a great day.
“It’s a fantastic season for both clubs. Hythe, with the FA Cup run, and Simon has done a magnificent job at Herne Bay. There’s a lot of expectation at Herne Bay, but there always is. I was there for seven years and people always expected you to win something, so it will be a nervous time for both clubs.
“Herne Bay should be a Ryman League club - they’re big enough and Hythe are the same. Both have got good fan bases, especially Herne Bay.
“Simon’s had a great season and Scott’s had a good season, but it’s going to be heartbreaking for one of them.
“I can never forget, I lost the title (when I was the manager of Deal Town) to Jimmy Ward at Ramsgate on the very last day of the season - on goal difference - in 1999.
“We both had to play and Ramsgate just needed to win 2-0, I think. I spent the whole summer trying to build myself up for the following season.
“I said to Scott this morning, you don’t want to look back regretting the last two games. He’s got to pick the right team, the right side and don’t worry about the opposition.
“You can’t look at the league table now - treat every game as a Cup final but the reward will be fantastic - promotion.
“Scott’s a young manager, but Simon’s probably a lot more experienced because he done the Whitstable thing with Marc Seager,
“It’s a great season for the Kent League, the sponsors (Safety Net Associates, who also sponsor Herne Bay) must be absolutely overjoyed because their sponsorship has obviously been worthwhile.
“I said to Scott this morning, ‘I envy him‘, the involvement. It’s fantastic. I had a couple of great title years. I remember the year we (Deal Town) done the treble. We were left with six games to play and we needed 14 points to win the league.
“I think Scott and Simon would prefer a target - what they have to do now is keep tallying the points up all the time. Targets are no good now, just keep winning their matches, even the odd draw would be important because at the end of the season all the points add up.
“As I said to Scott today, you don’t want to regret the summer with something you didn’t do.
“The Herne Bay Cup Final now mustn’t be a distraction. The league and promotion is first and foremost.
“Something I never put on my CV - I never got promoted out of the Kent League. I always lost out on ground grading.
“Those guys, to get promoted would be a fantastic achievement. See how well Ramsgate and Faversham have done over the last few years, there’s no reason why either side couldn’t perhaps go up and win the Ryman South. It’s perfectly doable, with the right preparation.
“I sent Simon a text a couple of weeks ago and I said ‘how’s your nails and have you got a lot of toilet rolls?’
“He sent me a great text and he said ‘my nails are short and my bum hurts!’
“It’s bottle - simple bottle, not just for the manager’s, but the players as well.
“It’s very exciting. The Kent League deserves a great finish because it’s a tremendous League. It’s a great League for Scott to find his feet - he’s a young man.
“I said to Tony Russell (the Erith Town manager), it’s a great league to learn your trade. It didn’t do me any harm anyway!
“I wish both clubs well. Obviously I’ve got a leaning towards Herne Bay. I hope it’s a great finish and I hope the Cup Final is a great day for everybody’s sake.
“I’m looking forward to the Cup Final day as I’m donating the Tommy Sampson Man of the Match Award, so that’s my involvement in the Kent League Cup Final this year.
“I was very proud winning my four Kent League titles. I’m sure Scott and Simon will be the same. Make no mistakes, it’s a tough league. It’s a bloody tough league to win because the county is so enclosed, everybody is too familiar with one another. It’s a tough league to manage in and a tough league to learn your trade and both will be better for it - if they win it or not.
“The year I lost out to Ramsgate I swore blind I would be better the next year - and we went to Wembley, we won the league and Kent Senior Trophy.
“That’s the past for me. Scott and Simon have got the future to worry about. I can only congratulate both clubs for making it a fantastic title race.”
KENT LEAGUE TITLE RACE RUN-IN
HYTHE TOWN
Played 25 - Won 18 - Drawn 4 - Lost 3 - Goals For 66 - Goals Against 24 - Points 58
Saturday 9 April - Home Holmesdale
Saturday 16 April - away Sevenoaks Town
Good Friday 22 April - away Norton Sports
Easter Monday 25 April - Home Beckenham Town
Saturday 30 April - away Tunbridge Wells
HERNE BAY
Played 25 - Won 15 - Drawn 8 - Lost 2 - Goals For 52 - Goals Against 27 - Points 52
Saturday 9 April - Home Sporting Bengal United
Saturday 16 April - Home Beckenham Town
Easter Saturday 23 April - away Fisher
Easter Monday 25 April - Home Holmesdale
Saturday 30 April - away VCD Athletic
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