If we can finish in the top three or four this year I'll be absolutely over the moon, says Longhurst

CORINTHIAN manager Matt Longhurst says his side are more than capable of being the first amateur side to win the Southern Counties East Football League title.


The Gay Dawn Farm outfit finished in a record best of fourth-place in the Kent League last season and deservedly defeated newly-promoted Ryman League Division One North side Erith & Belvedere 2-0 to win the Challenge Shield last weekend.

With players touting themselves to sign for club’s at this level for £50 per week, Corinthian have a refreshing ethos of playing the game for the love of it and not for personal financial gain.

Corinthian open their campaign with a home game against Canterbury City tomorrow.

Canterbury City will go into the game with a new manager at the helm in the shape of former Ramsgate and Maidstone United player Simon Pettit.

“We don’t really know too much what to expect but at the end of the day the first game is always be a little bit of a nervy occasion,” said Longhurst.

“We’ve started the season slowly for the last two years and I want us to get off to a good start because after Christmas we seem to come good when people start cutting their budgets and players leave clubs.

“We seem to keep a steady ship so hopefully we get off to a good start.”

When asked his aspirations for the new season, Longhurst made it clear that he wants to better last season’s top four finish.

“We’ve got to better than that,” he said.  “When I sat down with the chairman at the end of the year and agreed to stay again, we’ve got to get more young players through. We’ve got to try and find another Dan Bent if we can.  We’ve got to try and get Alfie May the same amount of goals as we done last year – if not more and try and push on and finish in the top three.

“Now to finish in the top three at this level is not going to be easy. There’s some big clubs in there paying some big money.

“This year Cray Valley have gone out and strengthened all over the pitch. Whyteleafe will be strong with a new management team. Tunbridge Wells are going to be there or there abouts.

“Without a doubt Lordswood with Simon Halsey coming back into the league are going to be strong.  People haven’t really mentioned them in pre-season but I wouldn’t hazard a bet they would be the top three or four sides.  Simon has won this league with Herne Bay.

“If we can finish in the top three or four sides this year I’ll be absolutely over the moon.”

When asked whether his amateur side can win the league this season, Longhurst replied: “I don’t’ see why not!  We’ve beaten teams, although it’s pre-season and results don’t matter, we’ve been looking at our performance levels than results but end of the day I really just worry about ourselves really.

“I really don’t think the money really matters now. Some of these players (at other clubs) are getting twenty or thirty quid, that’s not going to change anyone’s life.

“People can come here and do things properly with no money. I don’t see why anyone can’t win it without a budget.

“I think it’s different in terms of attracting one or two players. At the same time if a player wants to go to a club for £50 then realistically I’d rather have a player to come here to enjoy their football and come to progress.

“Yes, it is difficult at times because there’s one or two players who we could talk to and potentially get here.

“We’re getting boys because of the facilities here but at the same time what we do know when you look around in the dressing room and everyone looks at each other in the eyes they’re all getting the same – nothing – so there’s no big time Charlies. We haven’t got any egos in the dressing room so we don’t have to manage that.  We’re managing players that want to be here and there’s no other reason but they want to be here.

“I don’t see that as a negative really. We look at it at a positive front.

“How many players will start the season at one of the clubs and finish the season there?  I don’t know because it’s a bit of a merry-go-round in our league at times.”

Visit Corinthian’s website: www.pitchero.com/clubs/corinthianfc 

Corinthian  v  Canterbury City
Southern Counties East Football League
Saturday 10^th August 2013
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Gay Dawn Farm, Valley Road, Longfield, Kent DA3 8LY