I'm not going to Margate, insists Ward

Sunday 21st February 2010

JIM WARD has pledged his future to Ramsgate and insists he is not about to jump ship and defect to arch Thanet rivals Margate, writes Stephen McCartney.

The Scot has worked miracles at Southwood Stadium since taking over in 1995, and apart from a couple of seasons with Maidstone United, Ward is part of the furniture at the club.

Margate, who have lost all three games since Mark Butler departed after only 12 league games in charge, are one division higher than the Rams, although their poor run of form has seen them slump into the bottom three of the Ryman Premier League and are staring relegation in the face if things don’t pick up.

Margate will unveil their new manager at a fans’ forum at Hartsdown Park this coming Thursday at 7:30pm, but Ward insists he is staying at Ramsgate.

“First of all I’m not going to Margate,” Ward said in a statement, which was posted on the club’s official website www.ramsgate-fc.co.uk.

“I was never going to Margate. I have got a special relationship with my chairman at Ramsgate Football Club and that has built up over all these years. Remember I have been at Ramsgate since 1995 and, except for a couple of years when I went away to Maidstone, I've always managed Ramsgate and I love the club.

"I love everything about it. I love the challenges that are involved with the club. I love the way the club is managed and the way Richard (Lawson, my chairman) keeps everything money-wise.

“We must be one of the few clubs in Kent that are not in debt and that's because of the way things are managed on the committee side of things.

"For me to give that up would be a massive wrench for me and I won't be doing that. I will be staying at Ramsgate Football Club for the foreseeable future.

"I see it as a massive challenge at Ramsgate. At the moment we are going through such a transitional period. We are trying to bring all these great young lads we have got at the club through but, at the same time, we need to give them experience with experienced players.

“When I look at my under-18s and my under-16s I think about how many of them are going to come through and I think we have got some great talent at the club. I'm looking forward to the challenge.

"Me and Richard have spoken about it. We speak about what is going on at other clubs and people have spoken to me.

“It's very difficult to say too much but people have spoken to me from other clubs and I haven't gone. I don't for a minute doubt the fact that I'd be good enough. I think I'm good enough to manage at any level with the right tools, and by tools I mean money.

"There's no chance at all of it happening and I know that might not please everybody. It might disappoint people but there is life in this old dog yet."

Margate confirmed last week that 18 managers have applied for the vacancy.

Butler’s number two, Steve Beeks, meanwhile, has told Margate supporters’ on an unofficial fans’ forum, that he was sorry to leave Hartsdown Park along with Butler.

“It was my job to make sure the players knew (their jobs) both offensively and defensively,” said Beeks.

“The players took this on board and tried their best to do this. Along the way we had some problems, fitness at Hastings, psychological when we went in front.

“The players were great in their commitment and effort and in trying to take their Roles and responsibilities on board, unfortunately they/we were not able to adapt quickly when those roles and responsibilities changed.

“We were working though these problems and I generally believe we were really close to being a very good side.

The pair were working with players that were put under contract by Terry Yorath (the first manager of the season), so bringing in new players and releasing players was very difficult.

“For the record, I never wanted a contract and Mark was looking for assurances about this position. It was never about money,” insisted Beeks.

“He was working unbelievable hours but felt the message to him was a very mixed one. I knew my role and responsibilities as he made them very clear to me. The players knew their role and responsibilities.

“Mark’s seemed to change, reduce the budget then sign Carl Rook (from Tonbridge Angels, who has since moved to Dartford), reduce the budget.

“He had opportunities to sign supposed good players but felt they were asking to much money and he did not wish to burden the club or waste its money.

“The players that he brought in have consistently won the man of the match awards and performed as a whole very well and within budget boundaries.

“He felt we had enough about us to comfortably stay up and wanted to concentrate on building a squad to challenge next year but wanted assurances that he was not doing all this work and then was not going to be here. There seemed to be rumblings that all was not happy with the progress. What I believe he needed was a clear message which unfortunately I do not believe he got.

“As Mark decided to offer his resignation I could not stay at the club as he brought me here and I am loyal to him. I would of however stayed until a new Manager was found but unfortunately no one from the club spoke to me . I would of stayed with Marks blessing, in football it is inevitable that you leave, when leave you want to leave a club in the best position possible.”

Sittingbourne manager, Gary Abbott, has also been linked with the Margate job, but the ambitious manager told www.kentishfootball.co.uk yesterday that he is happy to stay at Bourne Park and guide the club towards the Ryman League Division One South play-off’s.

“I’ll just get on with my job here,” he said. “”I’ve had all the (speculation) with the Welling job, nothing came of it, so I’m not going to think too much into that (Margate speculation).

“Yes, I know my name’s been linked but I’m here to do a job for Sittingbourne. I’m not finished. I’m not finished yet.

“Obviously (my chairman Andy Spice) knows the situation. I want to move on like any player or any manager does. If that’s the case we’ll have to wait and see what happens.”

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

Visit Margate’s website: www.margate-fc.com

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