Holmesdale chairman: Please give us the chance to play Kent League football - EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Holmesdale manager Tony Beckingham has admitted his title winning side have exceeded all expectations this season, writes Stephen McCartney.

The Bromley outfit lifted the British Energy Kent County Premier League crown following their 2-2 draw against a plucky Rusthall team at Oakley Road today.

They have emulated what Ramsgate and Maidstone United have achieved in the past two years - winning back-to-back titles.

Bottom-six side Rusthall, however, found themselves 2-0 up through John Penny and Rob Perkins, but a brace from substitute Tom Creasey in the last twenty minutes secured the champions a point.

But the former Welling United, Tonbridge Angels and Dartford striker squandered numerous chances after coming off the bench at the break, along with James Dadson and Dave Crofts.

He did, however, receive praise from his manager.

“Tom’s been awesome for the last two seasons,” Beckingham said EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk after their final game win.

“He’s an out-an-out goalscorer, he’s suffered with injuries this year but he’s still managed to bang in 39 goals.”

But the former Broadbridge Heath manager paid tribute to his side for winning their second successive league title.

“Unbelievable achievement to be honest,” he admitted. “We came up last year and really we were just looking to consolidate and try not to go straight back down.

“To achieve back-to-back titles is just an unbelievable feeling.

“The secret? There’s no secret. It doesn’t matter what level of football you play at, the secret is hard work and organisation - and good players does help.

“But they need to take on board what you tell them and if they do that and put the work in, they’re going to get success and that’s been proved again this year.”

Holmesdale have been playing at Oakley Road for the last seven years, and despite being a smart, little ground, the lack of floodlights is a big stumbling block.

Many progressive clubs have been thwarted progress by not having floodlighting at their grounds.

But chairman Mr Ray Tolfrey hopes Bromley Council give them the green light to erect floodlights at the end of this month.

“We just can’t explain it, how we’ve managed to come so far, so quick,” he said EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

“As Tony said, when we came up we were just expecting to just stay up and hopefully we can go one step further.

“I’m pulling out all the strings if I can to take us to the next level (but) a lot now depends on our planning application and see how we can go from there.

“At the moment our application is in. We’re just waiting on the meeting on the 25^th of the month.

“The materials are on site ready to put the boardroom in place, which the Kent League have told us we need.

“If we get the planning application, then I think we’ll have everything else in place.”

With Kent League champions Whitstable Town clinching a deserved promotion into the Ryman League, they leave behind them only sixteen clubs next season, including East Londoners Sporting Bengal United - a side not good enough to compete at this level.

And Mr Tolfrey has issued a plea to Kent League top brass to open the doors to a side that play neat football - on a good playing surface.

He said: “We’re obviously hoping that they will take us if we’ve got the planning permission - we’re hoping they’ll give us some sort of leeway.

“It’s a catch 22 situation to obtaining funding from the FA. You’ve got to be at that level (playing Kent League football) to get the funding and you can’t get to that level without the funding - we’re just keeping our fingers crossed.

“If we get the permission, (hopefully) they will accept us and give us time to get the lights in - let’s maybe stretch them (the rules) slightly.

“The actual planning people got a meeting on the 25^th of this month so we should hopefully have an answer in principle on the 25^th.

“If we’ve got that then we’ll be pushing for the Kent League to give us some leeway for some time limits to actually get the lights up.”

However, if the club fail in their bid to win promotion into the Kent League, Beckingham believes his successful side will stay put.

“Hand on heart I don’t think we’ll lose any of the player. The spirit in the club is superb," he said.

“A lot of them have come up through the youth ranks, Holmesdale’s youth team, where they’ve had success so they’ve got that bond.

“The players that we’ve brought in have just added to that and it’s just an unbelievable team spirit so hand on heart, no, I don’t think we’ll lose any of them.”

Mr Tolfrey, meanwhile, calls upon local businesses to support the club’s promotion bid.

“We know that (there’s) a lot more clubs with a lot more financial backing than us,” he said. “It’s going to be hard for us if we do get there.

“But I’m confident in the management and some of the players we’ve got.”

And if they fail in their promotion bid, Mr Tolfrey will be “disappointed”.

He said: “It’s a catch 22. You can’t get there without lights and unless you’ve got a rich benefactor how do you get the lights without the funding?

“I’ll be disappointed but not as much as the management and the players.”

Beckingham revealed the club have already approached Beckenham Town and Sevenoaks Town about groundsharing, but the Kent League pair declined their offer.

Visit Holmesdale’s website: www.holmesdalefc.co.uk