I want to see how we can do against a really good side, says VCD Athletic boss Tony Russell

VCD ATHLETIC manager Tony Russell says he feels proud with the club’s unbeaten record of 31 games in league football.


The Crayford-based club sealed promotion from the Kent League as runners-up to Erith & Belvedere last season and lead the Ryman League Division One North table by fourteen points after 12 games.

Vickers have won 11 league games and drawn one and welcome Calor (Southern League) Division One Central outfit Aylesbury in The FA Carlsberg Trophy Preliminary Round on Saturday.

Aylesbury United – who share Leighton Town’s Bell Close ground in Leighton Buzzard – host Faversham Town on Sunday, whilst Aylesbury face VCD Athletic at Oakwood.

“We had them watched last Saturday, got the report back, said they’re lively going forward,” said Russell.

“They’re mid-lower table in their league so we’re at home. We messed up a little bit in The FA Cup, took a bit of a liberty and I won’t be doing it this time. Lesson learned.”

Russell decided to leave Nick Reeves out of their 3-1 home defeat to Burgess Hill Town in the FA Cup Preliminary Round tie earlier in the season and paid the price.

Russell said: “I remember walking in the bar after the FA Cup game and the chairman just looked at me and shook his head and kindly reminded me how much money has fallen out of his pocket and I had to justify why I rested a couple.

“There will be none of that going on with the Trophy. We’ll put the best side out and have a right go. The money side of it, I won’t see any of it but he’ll be happy and it’ll keep him off my back!”

It will be VCD Athletic’s third game in The FA Trophy having played a couple of games in the competition in their previous only season in the Ryman League during the 2009-10 season.

They beat Heybridge Swifts 3-0 at home in the Preliminary Round, but their run was ended by Concord Rangers, who scored the only goal of the game to win the first qualifying round tie at Oakwood.

“It’s the first time I’ve ever gone into it as a manager so I’m looking forward to it,” said Russell.

“It’s only the second time the club’s ever been in it because they’ve only been in the Ryman League once so I’m looking forward to doing it.

“I’d like to have a run in it. I wouldn’t mind us playing against a side a couple of league’s above and see how we can do against a really good side, on the touchline tactically and player-by-player on the pitch.

“We’re doing well but it’s hard to gage to see where we’re at. I’d love to have a little run and meet someone decent and have a right good go.

“I mean like your Dartford’s and people like that – the big boys – the Welling’s and Dartford, someone like a Maidstone. Put our players somewhere, drop them in somewhere where’s there’s a lot of people, up to a thousand people and see how they deal with it.

“I remember playing against AFC Wimbledon (for Cray Wanderers) and it can go two ways. It made me want to play better but some people will freeze. I’d like to see how people would deal with it, that’s all.”

But before Russell can contemplate locking horns with Tony Burman’s Darts or Jamie Day’s Wings, VCD Athletic must beat Aylesbury on Saturday, followed by Leighton Town or North Greenford United away in the First Qualifying Round on 19 October.

There are in total three qualifying rounds before the Conference Premier clubs enter the competition in the first round.

“We’re not counting our chickens,” added Russell. “This is me just talking on a loose term. We’ve got to win some rounds before we can get anywhere near that!

“It will be nice to get past this round and then we’ll look at the next opponent. We’re not going to take it for granted. We’re going to concentrate getting through this round.”

Russell added: “It’s a nice distraction from the league. We’ve gone hammer and tong since the start of the season, two games a week. It’s nice to come away from the league and concentrate on the Trophy.”

VCD Athletic have some way of breaking the longest unbeaten record which was 78 games set by AFC Wimbledon between 26 February 2003 to 4 December 2004.

Their run was ended by Cray Wanderers who won a Ryman League Division One game 2-0 at Hayes Lane, thanks to goals from Jamie Millar and a solo goal by Sam Wood.

“We’re 31 games unbeaten in the league, won 28 of them,” confirmed Russell. 

“I’ve only ever actually lost one league game as manager of VCD and that was against Canterbury away in my first game, we lost 3-0 and that was November time so it’s coming up to a year.

“I don’t know records compared to other leagues or how many more we need to do to catch someone.

“It’s something that I’m proud of it – I’m massively proud of it.”

Visit VCD Athletic’s website:  www.pitchero.com/clubs/vcdathleticfc

VCD Athletic  v  Aylesbury
The FA Carlsberg Trophy Preliminary Round
Saturday 5^th October 2013
Kick Off 3:00pm
At Oakwood, Old Road, Crayford, Kent DA1 4DN