If we don't win fingers will be pointing at me, says Sittingbourne joint-boss Jim Ward

SITTINGBOURNE joint-manager Jim Ward says he wants his side to get their season up and running at their new Woodstock Park ground on Saturday.


The Brickies have lost all of their opening league games and as a result have plummeted to the foot of the Ryman League Division One South table.

“As much as people say the manager doesn’t look at league tables they do,” said Ward.

“If you won all four or lost all four you can’t help but look at it even though there’s 24 teams in our league, it’s early days.  You can’t hide from the facts. We’ve played four and lost four, let ten in and only scored one.”

Ward added: “I don’t want to make too many excuses because tables don’t lie. We’re bottom of the table. There’s 24 teams in it and we’re there and we have to make massive improvements all round the place, but we must keep being positive. We have to remain positive. We’re not bad!

Sittingbourne played their last game in Whitstable when they went down to a 2-1 home defeat to Walton & Hersham in front of only 59 people last night.

“Well let me tell you, we’ve played against Walton & Hersham on Tuesday night and I never looked to pick a team for the next game on the day that you’ve just lost because you’re all confused. I woke up this morning and what my team will be on Saturday, if I make one change on Saturday I’ll be surprised because to be fair to the lads’ they’ve done alright.

“We should’ve won on Tuesday night. There’s no way getting away from the fact. People that were there will agree with that.”

Ward admitted that the on-off switch over to Ryman League Division One North and the delay in moving into Woodstock Park’s Broadoak Road ground has caused problems.

He said: “Players, just like life, you like to be settled. You like to know where you are and what’s happening and all those sort of things.

“We played a couple of pre-season games at Woodstock. We beat Woodstock Sports and we also beat Thamesmead from the Ryman Premier and we played well and we quite liked the facilities, we felt at home and last season when we played at Bourne Park our home record was excellent and all of a sudden we found ourselves, at nobody’s fault, being nomads.

“We found ourselves at Whitstable and we didn’t know we were going to be there and we were told we’re in the South and not in the North until the last minute and we were at Whitstable.

“Not making any excuse for anything, we’re all adults and we had to get on with every eventually as it came.

“It hasn’t been perfect.”

Ironically, Sittingbourne’s first league game in their new home happens to be against Whitstable Town on Saturday.

Nicky Southall’s side have claimed five points from their opening four league games and Ward wants to get his side’s season up and running with a win over Sittingbourne and away to Faversham Town on Bank Holiday Monday (3pm).

“Both will be tough games, really tough games.  Everyone has to stand up and be counted,” said Ward.

“We just hope we can get the breaks because football’s a funny game. You need that element of luck. If you don’t have that element of luck on your side you’re in trouble.

“The last thing I told the players on Tuesday night before I left them, don’t feel sorry for yourselves because people will tell you lucky breaks come around and even themselves out.  They need to start evening themselves quick!”

Ward knows his side must start picking up on the pitch if they are to entice supporters to make it to their new ground in rural Sittingbourne.

He said: “First and foremost my only way of getting people to come and watch, my part of the remit to come and watch us at Woodstock is to win as many games as we can so if we don’t win the fingers will be pointing at me and Danny and my staff for not winning and letting the crowds dwindle away.

“Last year the average (at Bourne Park) was 160 and Maurice Dunk the new chairman wants it to go up to 200.  Well, there’s a lot of elements that must go in our favour and that’s to start winning football games.

“We’ve laid on a free bus service from Sittingbourne up to the ground, which we hope will help and that starts on Saturday. We’re trying everything in our way to get fans there.”

Ward then takes his side to Salters Lane to play Faversham Town on Bank Holiday Monday.

The Lilywhites finished in third-place in the Ryman League Division One South table last season which was their best ever finish.

Ray Turner’s side defeated Hythe Town 3-0 in the play-off semi-finals but suffered defeat to promoted Maidstone United by the same score line in the final.

Ward added: “We look forward to the Whitstable game. We know how important it is to get the ball moving again and Faversham are a lot of people’s favourites to win it – or be up there.

“Tough games. It’s a tough league so we have to get on with it.

“Anything at the moment will do me,” said Ward.  “We’ll take anything as it comes.  We’re looking to win both games like me and Danny (Ward) do every game.

“We have to be organised and be tough to beat. Except for 20 minutes at the end of the Folkestone game we have been tough to beat but individual errors and bad luck have resulted in us losing those games.”

It’s tough on semi-professional footballers to have to play 46 league games as is the case with the three divisions in the Ryman League this season.

“The first thing you need is the squad to compete,” said Ward. “You need to be have people to call on when things aren’t right.  Luckily at the moment we haven’t had many injuries or stuff like that so we’ll get by with what we’ve got. Let’s just hope that carries on that way.

“It’s an awful lot of games and there’s travelling involved all over the place. Thank God we’ve stayed in the South. If we went in the North I dread to think what would have been the outcome of it all.”

Visit Sittingbourne’s website: www.sittingbournefc.co.uk

Sittingbourne  v  Whitstable Town
Ryman League Division One South
Saturday 24^th August 2013
Kick Off 3:00pm
At Woodstock Park, Broadoak Road, Sittingbourne, Kent ME9 8AG