I still think fifth spot is available for about ten clubs, says Ramsgate boss Jim Ward

RAMSGATE boss Jim Ward hopes a shake-up in team personnel will lift the club towards the play-offs at the end of the season, writes Stephen McCartney.


Ward has released Mitchell Sherwood, Mark Lovell and Aaron Beech in recent weeks and has brought in the likes of Joe Dolan, 31 (Bromley), Peter Wedgeworth (Croydon Athletic) and Dean Grant (Margate).

Ward said: “I had to give the squad a shake-up.  I did it three weeks’ ago.  Both Mitchell Sherwood, Mark Lovell and Aaron Beech all left the club for one reason or another and slowly and surely I’ve introduced some new faces so we’ve done that now and we’ll see what happens now.

“I had four new faces starting last Saturday and we went to Walton & Hersham and won at a place I’ve never won there before so I was pleased with that.”

Ramsgate go into Christmas sitting in eleventh place in the Ryman League Division One South table, thirteen points adrift of the play-off spots.

When asked what he wants the New Year to bring to his side, Ward replied, “To get on a run.  We’re out of all the cups so there’s no excuses now.  I always like to be in something after Christmas.  Our first aim is to try and get to about seventh spot because if you go on a bit of a run it won’t be difficult to get to seventh spot and then you go on another run to get fifth spot.

“I think fifth spot is still available for about ten clubs.  It all depends on who does what after Christmas.”

Ramsgate begin their Christmas campaign with the first of their three Kent derbies with a home clash against fourth-from-bottom side Whitstable Town next Tuesday (3pm).

They then welcome Sittingbourne to Southwood Stadium on New Years’ Eve (1pm), before travelling to eighth-placed Hythe Town on 2 January 2012. 

Ward said: “It’s a tough old league this year.  It was always going to be tough with seven Kent sides in our league so we’ve got a local derby nearly every other week, but your other guys like Bognor, Worthing and Whitehawk, even though they’ve got the money, they’re not playing local derbies every week, so it was always going to be more difficult for the Kent teams to be successful.

“Personally in the local derbies we’ve done really well.  We’ve won most of them, so we’re pleased with that side of it.”

Ward is looking for some revenge when they lock horns with Justin Luchford’s Whitstable Town.

He said:  “We owe Whitstable!  The last two games they’ve scored the winner in the last minute!  Both Stuart Vahid and Ian Pulman got the winners in the last minute against us!

“Whitstable have got a lot of my old ex-players as well, so they’ll be after to turn us over as well.”

Next up is Sittingbourne, who are managed by former Ram, Joe Dowley.

Ward said:  “They’re always difficult to play against and all the best of luck to young Joe as well.  He’s played for me.  He’s a bit young to start out (as manager).  He will have grey hair before the age of 30 and he’s only 28 so best of luck to him!

“He’s got a good chairman in Andy (Spice) so he will look after him and point him in the right direction.

“He can have all the advice he wants after the game.  He’s a good lad Joe.  He played for me for about six months at Ramsgate and he went back to Sittingbourne, so it never quite worked out for him well. Sittingbourne’s his club and I think he’ll do well for them.”

Ward wants to complete the double over Scott Porter’s Hythe Town when they travel to Reachfields Stadium in the New Year.

He said: “We’ve had some great battles.  I know we beat them 2-0 early doors, but Scott will have them organised, big and strong.  They’ve got the long throws.  You know exactly what you get when you play Hythe.

“We’ll go there and try to win the battle and hopefully skill comes first.”

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

Ramsgate  v  Whitstable Town
Ryman League Division One South
Tuesday 27^th December 2011
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Southwood Stadium, Prices Avenue, Ramsgate, Kent CT11 0AN