Kempster: Winning the FA Vase and players’ accolade was the cherry on the cake

Saturday 09th January 2010

RETIRED midfielder Jamie Kempster says he will consider returning to the game as a coach at a Kent League club next season, writes Stephen McCartney.

The 36-year-old, married father of four, decided to hang up his boots over the Christmas period, having served Erith & Belvedere, Dulwich Hamlet, Fisher Athletic, Greenwich Borough, Bromley, Deal Town, Maidstone United, Cray Wanderers and Erith Town with distinction.

Kent League side Erith Town announced Kempster’s retirement in a statement on their official website last week, but a player of Kempster’s calibre needs a proper send off from a glittering playing career, so www.kentishfootball.co.uk caught up with the popular footballer and spoke to him for fifteen minutes this afternoon.

When asked why he’s decided to hang up his boots, Kempster replied, “I thought I’ve had enough. I thought I’ve had my time. I’ve had a decent career in football and good times.”

Kempster helped his beloved Cray Wanderers to promotion into the Ryman Premier League for the very first time in the club’s 150 year history last season, but was talked out of retirement by their long-serving manager, and friend, Ian Jenkins.

“At the start of the season I was considering it then,” revealled Kempster. “I was considering calling it a day at the start of the season. We got promoted with Cray and I thought this could be the time to bail out on a high.

“I spoke to Jenko (Ian Jenkins) and Joe (Francis) and he sort of talked me into giving it another season. He’s the one that sort of persuaded me to stay on really. I was going to jack it in.”

But time on the sidelines through injury at the start of this season allowed Kempster to think about his future at the Hayes Lane based club and decided to sign for Kent League outfit Erith Town.

“I done the pre-season with Cray, one last season and I got injured through the pre-season so I didn’t play any friendlies for Cray,” he said.

“I looked at some of the games they were playing and the sides and I thought I could struggle a bit, my fitness, getting a bit older, not doing a decent pre-season.

“Ryan Royston was at Erith Town (in a player-coach capacity) and he gave me a call at that time and said ‘do you fancy playing a few games for Erith Town‘, just to get myself fit really and what happened was I decided at that time if I go to Erith I’ll make it one more season and rather going on a loan that I’ll make a clean break at Cray and I’ll play for Erith Town for a last season.

“I rang Jenks and said I’m going to Erith Town. I’ve been a decent player for Cray and I wanted to go to Erith Town to have another season, just do it wholeheartedly and put the effort into it.

“Over Christmas time, I’ve been to a couple of Millwall games and I think ‘you know what, this could be my time to call it a day’.

“I went round to (Erith Town manager) Steve O’Boyle’s house and he wasn’t there so I rang him and said I’m going to call it a day because in my heart I knew it was time to call it a day.

“I’ve always been someone who has always gone training, always turned up for games and been a reliable person and a reliable player. I didn’t want to be unreliable, not to turn up for games or training.”

Kempster says he will recharge his batteries and will consider returning in a coaching capacity.

He said: “From my career playing football I’ve met some really nice people and I don’t think I’ve upset anyone along the way.

“I think I’m well liked and I’m honest with people. You know in your heart of hears that it’s time to call it a day and do other things.

“I have considered looking at the area of coaching. I’ve got enough experience to offer things in that way.

“I want to a bit of a break from it for a little bit. I will give it a few months to charge my batteries.

“I like to keep myself fit, that’s one thing I’ve always been. I know I’m not the best player in the world but I’ve always had the fitness levels and I will always do a bit myself and always have.

“I will consider doing the pre-season whether it’s with Erith Town or Cray. Jenks’ spoken to me, he’s a good friend of mine and I know he’s my manager as well but we’ll always be mates and he said I’m more than welcome to come anytime and do a pre-season.

“I know I may have something to offer him with regards to that possibly but not yet. I want a couple of months break and recharge my batteries and see how I feel if I get the taste back for doing that sort of thing.”

Kempster is one of very few Kent based footballers that can say that they’ve won a major final at Wembley Stadium.

He was part of Tommy Sampson’s Deal Town side that won the FA Carlsberg Vase underneath the old Twin Towers, when Chippenham Town were defeated in May 2000 - the last final played at the iconic stadium.

“I’ve met so many good people playing football, good friends, whether they’ll be players, supporters and stuff like that,” said Kempster.

“I’ve looked at the Cray website and there’s a few people that have wrote really nice things about me and it’s really appreciated.

“But I would say overall, without wanting to upset anyone, but the best season that I’ve had in football is undoubtedly the season (we won the FA Vase) at Deal.

“Every one of the players was a decent player, a good footballer, but nice. The management we had, all the people at Deal were very friendly.

“We had a good crowd of us coming down from London going down to Deal. Everyone used to have a drink, go out. I think it’s a big part of non-league football. I know it’s very much trying to get more professional, a lot of money is going into it especially going down the league’s but we really had a good social side.

“I think it’s an important part of non-league football as it’s our hobby rather than our job.

“That season was probably my best season of football. Everyone wanted to be in the first eleven. Tommy (Sampson), Colin Ford and Kevin, all the players that they had whether they were in the first eleven or sixteen or whatever, everyone cared about everyone else. There was no backstabbing or anything like that.

“To top it all off, to win at Wembley, at the old Wembley. You look at some fantastic players who have played throughout their careers, Pele and people like that have never even got to play there, is just brilliant.

“To top everything off, every player knows to get a players’ player-of-the-season award is great because you know you’ve got all your peers’ respect. To win the FA Vase and the players’ player-of-the-year for that season is the cherry on the cake to me.”

When asked what it’s like to taste success at Wembley Stadium, Kempster replied, “I always still get asked the question, but I’m proud of that fact. I’ve got the tattoos as well, so it’s always going to be with me, the Wembley tattoos.

“To win, it’s hard to describe really but when we first won it, Tommy used to speak about it more. We try to be a bit more liberal about it now because you feel like you’re showing off.

“You sort of mention that I’ve played at Wembley, won at the old Wembley. People in football know the feeling of playing at Wembley. You just go there to watch England or you go there to watch your team play and it’s something special, even at a concert.”

When asked which club he has enjoyed playing for, Kempster replied, “It’s hard to pick. I’d be honest, I’ve loved playing for all of them.

“It’s funny because I always look out for all the results, everyone does. You’ll look in the Sunday Paper and the Non-League Paper and you look at the results of all your old teams.

“It would be unfair to pick anyone. I’ve loved played for Cray and even though I left Cray to Erith, when I speak to the old players, Jenks and Joe I always think “We” as though I’m still playing for the club.

“If I had a choice it would be Cray because I was playing for Cray for the longest that I’ve played for, had some good times with everyone.

“Maidstone was good as well, the Maidstone people as well. I was only there for two seasons but I had a good affinity with the supporters there. I got supporters’ player-of-the season.

“I still speak to Bryan Read, who does the website. I still speak to him every now and then on the computer. I loved those two seasons at Maidstone as well.”

Kempster added: “It’s sad, it’s a bit of an end of an era for me. I’m a bit choked. You feel you can carry on for ages but the main thing is I’ve always been 100% and I’m not sure I could commit to that and that’s why I think it’s time to call it a day and say fair enough I’ve had a good time. I’ve been a decent player for Deal and Cray and all the teams I’ve played for.”