If anybody wants a successful manager I'm here! - Jim Ward

JIM WARD has explained his reasons behind his decision to leave his beloved Ramsgate this morning.


 


The 60-year-old, who lives in Broadstairs, contacted chairman Richard Lawson at around 8:30am to tell him that he has parted company with the Southwood Stadium club.

Ward lost his job as manager just ten days ago in a club restructure by the Ryman League Division One South club, with Tim Dixon replacing him and Darren Beale staying on as coach.

The Rams won their first game under Dixon, as they defeated Worthing 4-3 at Southwood Stadium last Saturday, and they end their campaign away to Walton Casuals next Saturday.

Ward said: “I’ve decided to leave Ramsgate. I’ve just spoken to the chairman.  I’ve decided it’s better for both parties that I leave the club.

Ward, who was asked to move upstairs in a general manager’s role, felt the job was simply not for him.

“It’s not for me,” he added.  “I feel that I’ve still got too much to offer.  I’ve been at Ramsgate and been successful since 1995 at Ramsgate and at Maidstone so I’ve decided I’ll be better off just being away for a minute.”

With the Ryman League season coming to a close, the Scot would like to hear from clubs who want to be successful next season.

He said: “If anybody who wants a manager whose won the Kent League three times and won the Ryman One and got to the play-offs in the Premier, I’m here!

“I’m here and I’m dying to get into a club who wants the same ambition as what I do.”

The past three years since the club’s sorry relegation from the Ryman Premier League was a massive disappointment to Ward and the Southwood faithful.

“Listen, I’ve given it a right good go at Ramsgate.  I’ve had my great years and the last couple of years have been disappointing, but all mitigating circumstances.  All the great players who were with me when we got to the Ryman Premier have all moved on and it’s been hard to replace those players, but that’s football.

“But at the moment it’s about time we learnt a lot more about Jim Ward and see if there’s anybody out there prepared to give me a go. I can’t wait to get involved again.  I’m 60 but there’s life in the old dog yet!”

Ward insists he will always remain friends with Ramsgate’s chairman, despite their parting of ways.

“I’ll always have feelings with Ramsgate Football Club.  Richard Lawson will always be my best pal in football.  We go all the way back to 1995 so we won’t fall out. I’ll always be welcomed at Southwood, I know that, but at this moment in time, I’ll let the new management team at Ramsgate get on with it so I’m not getting in anybody’s way or accused in getting in anybody’s way. It would be the last thing I would do!

“I don’t want fingers pointed at me. I want to get on and give it a go somewhere else.”

The term director of football is tarnished and tends not to work at the highest level of the game, let alone a Ryman League club.

“Well I had a plan in mind,” explained Ward.  “With the under 18’s, under 21’s that were going to be formed next year, reserves and the first team, that were all going to come under my heading.  I think it might have worked.  I would have done all the scouting for Ramsgate and to the thing I do best, which is to get players.

“I’ve always been able to attract players to Ramsgate, unfashionable Ramsgate if you want to call them that.  I’ve always been able to do it. That was one of the reasons the club wanted me to stay on.

“It’s a job somebody can do, but maybe I have to wait another ten years for me to do that as I’ve got too much to offer someone.”

There is no bigger thrill of the week than that buzz of winning a game of football at five o’clock on a Saturday afternoon and not having Jim Ward in a dug-out would be a massive loss to the game.

Ward said: “I want to pick the team.  The biggest thrill about football is actually picking the team, taking all week to do it. Listen to everyone else’s advice and then at five o’clock on a Saturday seeing that team has won for you and come April seeing that team has won something for you.

“That’s the thrill of football.  You can’t get a bigger kick than that. People don’t realise what that gives you. I think I’ve got years left in me.”

Ramsgate are without a first team fixture today, as they were due to play away to expelled Croydon Athletic.

Visit Ramsgate’s website: www.ramsgate-fc.co.uk