Lydd Town deserve to be a Step Six club, says manager Dave Johncock

DAVE JOHNCOCK says he is relishing the challenge of managing minnows Lydd Town in the inaugural Kent Invicta League in less than eight weeks’ time, writes Stephen McCartney.


Johncock, 36, a sales project manager who lives in Hawkinge, took over at The Lindsey Field outfit in November 2009.

He formed Saga Sports & Social in 2002 and managed them for four years in the Ashford District League, where he won two League Cups and a League and Cup double, but also developed them off the pitch and  election to the Kent County League in 2006 was a fine achievement.

He was asked by then Hythe Town manager Paul Fisk to manage the reserve side at Reachfields Stadium in 2006 and managed them until October 2009 and within a month of his departure he was asked by Lydd chairman Pat Lindsey to take over the reigns with the club second from bottom of the Kent County League Division Two East.

Johncock is delighted that Lydd Town are one of the sixteen founder members of the Kent Invicta League, having climbed three divisions.

He said: “We applied because I feel as a club that Lydd Town should be a Step Six club.

“I know there will be plenty of people looking at us saying that we shouldn’t be there as last season we were playing in Kent County League Division Two East, but we are what the new league is about.

“Our performance in the league last season represents our standard – 19 league games unbeaten – but more importantly we are ambitious off the pitch.

“The club has seemingly been let down by some of the players over the last few years, which contributed to a couple of relegations, but as a club we were obviously closer to being a Step Six club than some of the others and we are grateful for the opportunity.

“All the other clubs in Step Six, I’m sure will agree with me, when I say that having a nice pitch and good facilities is not a fluke!  A lot of hard work goes into achieving it and that is more why the club has been accepted  and on that basis Lydd Town deserve to be there.

“You could say that it has come a year too soon for us, but I’m sure the majority of the clubs in the Invicta League will probably say that too, but we’re very much up for it and looking forward to it.”


Lydd Town finished as runners-up to their manager’s former club (Saga Sports & Social) in the bottom tier of the Kent County League last season and when asked the club’s aspirations at the higher level, Johncock said, “On the pitch, it’s all an unknown quantity.  I simply expect us to be committed, work hard in every training session and fully compete in every match – just like I would every season.

“That’s my target at the start of the season – ask me at Christmas and I may have more!

“However, off the pitch, I would like us to have continued the momentum and developed at least two season’s work by the end of next season.”

He added: “It’s never easy to attract players to Lydd, as we’re a bit out of the way.   The level helps as players should always want to play at the highest level that they can.

“We have a really good group of players at the moment, everyone gets on with each other and the important thing is ensure that that continues.  I will hopefully have a couple more joining us for the new season and they will fit in brilliantly with what we have at the moment, I’m confident of that.”

When asked about ground improvements, Johncock said, “We will be working on the plan set out by the Invicta League and ensuring that all the necessary work and developments are done.”

And Johncock wants to ultimately guide the club into the Kent League.

He said: “Yes! Why not? I like a challenge and everyone to do with football surely wants to do what they do at the highest level they can.  We play football to win.  Winning gets points, points gets promotion so ultimately, of course, that’s what we want and hopefully what we will get.  If we didn’t then we wouldn’t want to win and there’s something wrong with that!”

The club’s reserve side have been elected into the Kent County League Reserve Division.

Johncock added: “They were Lydd under 16’s two seasons ago and we convinced them to step up and be our reserve team last year.  They agreed and won the Ashford District League and Cup double last year.  This year will prove to be a decent test for them.  The first team and the reserves will train together and it’s all part of making the club stronger.”

Lydd Town begin their seven game pre-season campaign with a visit from Whitstable Town on Saturday, 9 July (3pm).

Visit Lydd Town’s website: www.lyddtownfc.co.uk