I'm looking forward to helping Cray Valley to continue to push in the right direction, says Joe Ford

CRAY VALLEY (Paper Mills) manager Steve Chapman has made a surprise appointment for his new first team coach.

Joe Ford, 23, who is the son of former VCD Athletic boss Martin Ford, has been unveiled as Darren Anslow’s replacement and begins his new role at the Kent League club at Tuesday night’s training session.

Chapman and Mark Edwards were impressed with the youngster when they interviewed the Kent Football United assistant manager last week.

Chapman said: “We interviewed a few candidates and both Mark and myself were impressed with his attitude and enthusiasm.

“Yes, he’s only young but we’re a club renowned for giving young players and opportunity to develop, so why not extend that to coaches?

“Joe starts his new role on Tuesday so let’s hope he can make an instant impact by helping us beat Erith Town on Saturday.”

Chapman added: “I’m also really pleased that Martin Barnard has changed his mind about leaving so once again my coaching staff is back to full strength.”

Ford, who only joined Kent Football United at the end of August, was quick to praise his former manager and chairman, but is looking forward to the next chapter in his footballing career.

“I met up with Chappo (Steve Chapman) and Eddy (Mark Edwards) last week and we had a good chat about the club and its future and I was very impressed with the drive and the ambition that the club has and is continuing to show,” he said.

“It wasn’t the easiest decision to make as both Sam and Roy have been first class to me in my short time at Kent Football United.

“However, after speaking to them both on Saturday, they both understood that the opportunity to step up into a higher standard and coach at a higher level was too good an opportunity to turn down.

“I would like to thank them both for providing me with the best chance to step into senior football and wish them and Kent Football United all the best for the rest of the season.”

Kent Football United lie in fourteenth-place in the Kent Invicta League table, with Lewisham Borough, Meridian and Crown Alexandraw below them in the table, after picking up three wins and a draw from their ten league games.

Cray Valley, who play a division higher in the Kent League, have dropped down to ninth-place in the table, with five wins and two draws from 12 games.

Ford added: “For me, a fresh challenge awaits starting on Tuesday night where I will meet up with the lads for the first time and I am very much looking forward to helping Cray Valley continue to push on in the right direction.”

Chapman was disappointed that his side crashed out of the London Senior Cup (Sponsored by Coventry Scaffolding) after they went down to a 4-3 home defeat to Hanwell Town in the Third Round yesterday.

Chapman said: “Disappointing result yesterday, a game we could have and should have won.

“Mo Conteh, Tunde, Ben Healy, Kevin Lott and Sam Gent all had slight injuries so I decided to leave them out and give a few of the other lads a run out.

“To be honest they did well but defensively we were poor and it was individual mistakes that cost us.

“I’ve been concerned about the number of goals that we have been conceding over the past few weeks and feel that we need a bit more experience to guide the youngsters.

“The average age of the side that drew 4-4 with Erith & Belvedere (on 25 September) was only 21.5 years of age and whilst they will do well in most games it’s inevitable they will have off days.

“I’ve just signed (central defender or target-man up front) Paul Gross from VCD and I’m hoping that he’ll give us that added experience and leadership qualities that we lack.”

Chapman’s side travel to Erith Town next Saturday with the Macron Kent League Cup First Round tie hanging in the balance after the 2-2 draw at Badgers Sports Ground in the first leg.

Chapman said: “Last week’s first leg was a cracking game and we showed tremendous character to come from two goals down to nick the draw.”

Kent Football United manager, Sam MacNeil, meanwhile, begins the search for a new assistant manager, ahead of their trip to Sutton Athletic next Saturday.

“I am gutted to lose Joe Ford as assistant manager. He has been a positive influence in the dressing room, training field and around the club,” said MacNeil.

“I would like to think I have made a good friend in football and as I’ve said to Joe the door is always open in the future and he has left on the best terms and conducted himself in the correct manner.

“Joe is 23 and has a bright future in the game and I wish him every success at Cray Valley where I am sure he will be successful.”

When asked about who will step into Ford’s shoes, MacNeil replied, “There is no firm replacement at the moment. I have someone in mind who I would like to get on board in a goalkeeping coaching capacity.”

Sam MacNeil welcomes applicants for the assistant manager vacancy at the club and he can be contacted by sending your football CV’s to kentelitefc@hotmail.co.uk.

Meanwhile, newly-appointed VCD Athletic boss, Tony Russell, 33, is searching for a new reserve team manager and interested parties can contact him on 07742 203 248.

The Crayford club have lost three players following the shock resignations of their previous management team of Ricky Bennett, Andy Silk and Peter Burke.

Gross (Cray Valley), midfielder Karl Dent (unattached) and Billy Bennett (Herne Bay) have all decided that they do not want to play under the former Erith Town manager.

Russell said: “I spoke to all the players and we laid it down quite early that the boys that didn’t want to be part of it to just let us know as quickly as possible so we could all move on.

“Different players suit different styles of football. There was going to be a bit of coming and going.  Maybe in the next couple of weeks people will be coming in and maybe one or two going out.   That was always going to happen. I’ve got to put my stamp on it.”

Russell revealed what qualities he is searching for from his new reserve team manager.

“I spoke to JP and I want a structure in place, just like I done when I was at Erith Town,” said Russell.

“The link between the youth and the reserve team needs to be strong and the link between the reserves and the first team needs to be strong and that wasn’t quite right at VCD, so that’s something that I need to address as well because I think it’s important that the youth team and reserves are strong.

“We have to put some infrastructure in place. It’s a bit carnage at the moment.  It’s a bit manic at the moment but I’m sure I’ll get there.”

Russell wants an ambitious reserve team manager to work with him.

“I interviewed applicants for the (Erith Town) reserve team job when it came up because we didn’t have any reserves in and we had people with managerial experience and James Collins came in then.  I just saw something in James. He had that hunger and desire.

“People say it’s a hard job but if you look at most of the people who are in decent jobs in the Kent League, most of them have come through that system.

“Steve O’Boyle (now manager of Kent Invicta League leaders Phoenix Sports) did it. He got the Erith Town job on the back of doing well with Thamesmead reserves. James Collins has now got the Erith job and Ricky Bennett even got the VCD job because he was VCD’s reserve manager and shuffled up.

“I think it’s a progression now. I think it will test any manager. It’s certainly not a bad job. I think anyone with aspirations and ambitions to be a manager in the Kent League.

“If things don’t work out for me at VCD for whatever reason, obviously I hope they do, but if someone in place is doing a good job they would rather look internally than externally.

“For me experience means nothing to me.  I want to meet someone who has got the hunger and drive and we can do the rest. I’ve spoken to the club and their prepared to help someone out (with their coaching badges) and fund it as well if it’s the right person.”

Holders VCD Athletic were knocked out of the Macron Kent League Cup by the side that they beat in last year’s final, Corinthian.

Matt Longhurst’s side defeated Vickers 2-1 at Gay Dawn Farm yesterday, going through 3-1 on aggregate.

But Russell, who met his new players for the first time last Monday, revealed that he had only two hours on the training ground over two nights ahead of the second leg.

He said: “I met them Monday and we done an hour on Tuesday and an hour on Thursday and we worked on just basic playing from the back.

“I had two people on the bench because you can’t sign anyone new if they haven’t been registered before the first leg and I wasn’t at the club for the first leg so there was people on the bench I didn’t even know!

“It was all up in the air! It’s disappointing we’re out of the Cup, yet in the grander scheme of things it’s just one of them where unfortunately it was a bit of a mess.

“We’re just starting to get going. Loads of positives came out of it.  I thought we played alright to be fair. There were a few chances in the first half that weren’t taken.

“Their two goals were purely down to us, trying to pass the ball. I asked the centre halves to pass the ball around the back and they lost the ball.   That’s going to happen when you’re asking teams to suddenly just play. I said to them before I won’t moan at them for doing that because they will get used to it.  When we do it in training it will work.  I had that when I was at Erith. There were plenty of times when I first took over when we gave away stupid goals but you keep doing it enough it becomes a habit and then it becomes easy.

“It’s a work in progress and Gary (Rump, the chairman) and everyone at the club knows that.

“Some people done really well and some people showed me they’re going to struggle with that style of play and that’s up to me to deal with.”

Fourth-placed Vickers, ten points adrift of leaders Erith Town, welcome second-placed Erith & Belvedere to Oakwood for a Kent League fixture next Saturday.