KENT SENIOR CUP FUTURE: KENT MANAGERS WANT GILLINGHAM FINAL

Sunday 07th February 2010

KENT’S leading football managers demand a major shake-up in the running of the Kent Senior Cup from next season, writes Stephen McCartney.

www.kentishfootball.co.uk has been speaking to Andy Hessenthaler, Neil Cugley, Mark Munday, Mark Butler, Tommy Warrilow and Gary Abbott during the past couple off weeks for their views on the County Cup competition.

The response from the managers proves that major changes that benefit all Kent clubs must be made to resuscitate the competition.

Dover Athletic boss Hessenthaler fielded just four first-team players (John Whitehouse, Dean Hill, Craig Cloke and Lee Browning) for their 2-0 second round defeat at neighbouring Folkestone Invicta, with the remainder of the squad made up with promising academy players.

The Cheriton Road fixture was arranged in between two very important games against two full-time clubs, away to Woking in Blue Square South and then their trip to Stevenage Borough in the third round of the FA Carlsberg Trophy.

“It’s good for the county, it’s the Kent Senior Cup, but it certainly won’t be my priority,” Hessenthaler said before the Folkestone game.

Hessenthaler would pull out of the competition, if given a chance.

“We have to (play in it) at the moment,” he said. “If I had any choice, I wouldn’t. That’s not being disrespectful to the Kent Senior Cup.”

A brace from Simon Austin saw Folkestone Invicta progress, in front of the competitions largest crowd (536) of the season.

Manager Neil Cugley, a veteran of the competition, wants things to revert to the good old days.

“We had a decent work out in the Kent Cup against a Dover side, but I honestly don’t think that the competition has a future the way it’s being run at the moment,” he said.

“When I played in it, it was a good tournament to play in with good crowds and the final at Gillingham on Bank Holiday Monday, which made everything worthwhile.

“But we were lucky that we played Dover as we had over 500, but if you look at some of the other gates, they’re very poor, very, very poor in places and I think the powers that be must revamp the competition, otherwise it could well die I think.”

Whitstable Town player-manager Munday saw his side go down 3-0 away to Ryman Premier League side Cray Wanderers - in front of the lowest crowd so far.

A Dan Dolton own goal, and two late goals from Ross Lover and George Porter saw Ian Jenkins’ side seal their place in the last eight - in front of just 38 supporters at a sparse Hayes Lane.

Munday, like Cugley, recalls the competition’s best years, gave his views on how the competition can be improved next season.

“It generally comes at a time just after Christmas, where it’s a bit of a forgotten cup to be honest, because there’s so few teams in it,” said Munday.

Munday, whose side are currently just one place above the relegation zone in Ryman League Division One South, would like the Kent Senior Cup to be open to more Kent sides.

He said: “I do believe they should allow all teams from our levels in it, so you’ve got the Kent League (teams) and maybe the champions from the Kent County League to pit their wits against the best of our county.”

Munday wants Gillingham (Kent’s only Football League club) and KCFA affiliated club Charlton Athletic (and Millwall have previously played in the competition) to re-enter sides in next season’s cup competition to allow semi-professional and even amateur players to compete against them.

“We had a scenario when Gillingham and Charlton used to be in it,” recalled Munday. “It gave it a little bit more of an edge to it as you went away to Gillingham or Charlton and you could play against full-time pros and sometimes use their facilities at Priestfield or The Valley, which is sometimes once in a lifetime experience.

“I know the Kent League have their own Cup but I think it should be open to all senior levels in Kent. It may well raise the profile and bring a little bit more interest.”

Munday played his first-team squad against Cray Wanderers but lost, but some ties in the competition sees managers take a look at younger and in-experienced players.

“It really is how much importance it’s put on by the club themselves,” said Munday. “In recent years the bigger type clubs, like Ebbsfleet, Dover and Dartford, have tented to play their fringe players or youth players as they might by vying for promotion or trying to get themselves out of a sticky situation.”

Munday sees staging the final at Gillingham’s Priestfield Stadium as the only way of bringing the Cup competition back from the dead.

He said: “Gillingham or Charlton aren’t in, it’s taken the edge of it. I’ve had some cracking nights in the Kent Senior Cup and it’s always nice to be in a cup final or the latter stages.

“Our County Cup final should be held at the only league ground in the county. The Hampshire Senior Cup is held at St Mary’s. It would be an extra incentive and give the players getting through a few rounds against good opposition and give supporters the chance to support their side at a league stadium.”

The Margate faithful failed to turn up for their 1-0 win over Chatham Town in the second round, as only 79 watched Butler’s first ever game in the competition, having previously managed Ashford Town (Middlesex).

The 44-year-old from Aldershot, Hampshire, expressed his first thoughts on the Kent Senior Cup, having bagged the Surrey version last season.

“I think it’s an important competition,” he said. “What you find is that you’ll see teams will view the early rounds of the Kent Cup, I’m sure it’s no different to the Surrey Cup or the Middlesex Cup, which we played for at Ashford.

“We won the Surrey Cup last year beating Woking from the Conference in the final.”

Butler suggested that managers are less likely to take county cup competitions seriously in the earlier rounds, before wanting success as they get closer to the final.

He said: “What happens is that earlier in the season when the earlier rounds are being played you have teams which have made a good start to the season and they may give some fringe players a game because the league might be their priority.

“As the season goes on though you have a different outlook and the closer you get to the final the more important the games become.

“For us it’s quite different. We have one objective in the league this year, which is to stay up. We have a small squad anyway so it’s pretty much all involved in every game.”

Butler, though, would like to bring the Kent Senior Cup back to Hartsdown Park, for the first time since 2005, the eighth time that the club has won the Cup.

“I think the club is dying for a bit of success,” said Butler. “Now, I’m not going to guarantee we’ll get that but if there’s an opportunity of getting some in the Kent Cup we’ll take that with open arms. I’m certainly not afraid to do that. We would love to do well in it.”

Tonbridge Angels maintained their good record against Ramsgate, when they defeated Jim Ward’s side 2-1 at Longmead Stadium in a low-key second round tie.

Only 109 fans (around 40 made the trip from Thanet) turned up to see the game, and Warrilow says Kent Senior Cup ties fall at the wrong time.

“As always, it’s going to be a cold night with football on the television,” he said.

“No disrespect to Ramsgate, they weren’t going to bring a load up but it was a good competition not so long ago. The final was a good day out.”

This season’s competition has fallen in between a congested league programme and this concerns Warrilow.

“I give every Cup it’s respect but we all know the league is the most important thing,” he said. “I’m not going to stand here and say I don’t care if we don’t get in a final. I’d like to get in the final of this.”

He added: “It’s just the timing of it at the moment. It’s not ideal timing. We’ve got all the league congestion now from the snow and then the Kent Senior Cup comes up for most teams it will be a hindrance because of all the league fixtures crammed up around it.”

Finals in recent years have been played at one of the finalists grounds, whoever wins the coin toss gets to choose if they want home advantage.

“It used to be played at Gillingham, didn’t it? Then they went to Charlton and when we played it was played at Sittingbourne then, the open pitch.

“I don’t even know where they play it now. It depends who you get in the final.”

But Warrilow also wants the final to be played at Kent’s only Football League stadium.

“It’s nice for the supporters to travel somewhere, have them segregated, a home and an away end, but I think it wouldn’t do any harm if they’re not doing the prize money, it would be nice to have a Kent club like Gillingham or someone like that to say we can play it there,” he said.

“It might give it a little bit of prestige back to it and want to get to the final.

Sittingbourne complete the second round ties on Tuesday, when they travel to Blue Square South side Bromley.

Sittingbourne face a fixture pile-up and must cram in 20 league games and at least two Cup ties in before the end of the season (24th April).

“We go to Bromley, it’s going to be a tough game,” said Abbott. “The way the games are going we could do without it to be honest with you.

“I know (our league games) have got to be played, but it’s going to be hard to throw the Bromley game in there as it’s not the best timing really.

“When we go there, we will try and win it. We know it’s going to be a tough game but getting the play-off spot is the only thing on my mind.”

When asked what he wants to be improved, Abbott replied, “I don’t know really. It’s a hard question, improving it. The managers have got a lot to get on without worrying that competition.

“Club’s want a good run in it. I know a lot of it is priorities. If you’re near the play-off’s, you want to get into that play-off spot or clubs down at the bottom half want to stay up, which is important.

“I’d love to get into the final, it would be good for the supporters for the end of the season and something to win.

“I don’t know what you can improve on it really to be honest with you.”

Abbott wants his side to pull off a Cup shock, when they play at Hayes Lane on Tuesday night.

“You could probably do without it to be honest with you,” he said. “They’re probably the same as us, they could probably do without it, but we’ve got to get on with it.

“The boys would rather play, I’d always rather have a game than train so lets go there, we’ve got nothing to be afraid off or anything, so we’ll go there and show what we can do against a Conference South side.

“There’s no pressure on us. We’ll just go out there, of course I’d like to win every game. I hate losing so we’ll go there trying to win.”

Welling United are the current holders, having defeated Whitstable Town (who had reached their first ever final) 6-1 at Park View Road last April.

Revised Kent Senior Cup Results & Attendances 2009-2010

First Round:

VCD Athletic 4-2 Thamesmead Town (82)

Second Round:

Folkestone Invicta 2-0 Dover Athletic (536)

Margate 1-0 Chatham Town (79)

Ebbsfleet United 1-3 Maidstone United (260)

Tonbridge Angels 2-1 Ramsgate (109)

Cray Wanderers 3-0 Whitstable Town (38)

VCD Athletic 1-2 Ashford Town (81)

Dartford 1-3 Welling United (507)

Bromley 1-4 Sittingbourne (118)

Quarter-Final Draw:

Folkestone Invicta v Maidstone United
Cray Wanderers v Ashford Town
Welling United v Margate
Tonbridge Angels v Sittingbourne
(Dates to be confirmed by the Kent County Football Association)

Visit the Kent County Football Association website: www.kentfa.com