Kentish Football 
Maidstone United 0-1 Croydon Athletic - Andy Ford quits as Maidstone United boss
Tuesday 15th March 2011
MAIDSTONE UNITED 0-1 CROYDON ATHLETIC
Ryman Premier League
Tuesday 15th March 2011
Mike Green reports from Homelands Stadium
ANDY Ford tonight resigned as manager of Maidstone United with immediate effect.
His decision came moments after his side’s 1-0 defeat to fellow strugglers Croydon Athletic - their 12th home defeat of the season - leaves the Stones rooted to the foot of the Ryman Premier League table, without a home league win all season and looking for their third boss of the season.
Chief executive Bill Williams spoke to waiting reporters after the game.
He said: “Its with regret that Andy Ford has resigned.”
“He came to me and said “That’s it – I’ve finished – I resign!”
“I asked him again very clearly if he was sure that that’s what he wanted to do, as we weren’t sacking him. He was adamant “No that’s it – I’ve done all I could do. I feel like I’ve been let down. I was expecting a response out of those players tonight but didn’t get!”
“I asked him again if that’s what he wanted to do. He said, “Yes Bill – I’m sorry I’ve let everyone down and I want to do what is the honourable thing and resign.”
“I asked him again and he nodded and so I had to reluctantly accept his resignation and so as of now the club will have to replace Andy Ford and find a new manager.”
Mr Williams added: “I thought that tonight was a must must, must win game for us and that’s why there’s such disappointment around the place. I’ve only been involved with the club for 40 odd years and I don’t think that I’ve ever seen us relegated. It’ll be a terrible moment for me, but we shall wait and see – we have a board meeting at 10:00am tomorrow morning and we’ll have to take things from there.”
Mr Williams was then asked about the position of Ford’s assistant Steve Butler. He said, “We will need to talk to Steve later to find out what his intentions are as it has all come as a bit of a shock to all of us.
“When Andy and Steve were appointed we said that we were fully behind them for the reset of the season, which is why tonight’s events are a little disappointing.”
And disappointing was just about right as Ford’s reign at the helm came to end an after 146 days (and three league wins in 22 league games in charge) with a performance that smacked of a condemned side.
It was almost as though a higher power knew what was to follow as the mist slowly gathered over Homelands, eerily rolling in off of Romney Marsh so that at kick off, the ground was shrouded in a white cape.
And when Lasse Weber got on the end of Charlie Mitten’s huge punt down field to lift the ball over Andy Walker and into the Stones net after only five minutes the home faithful were somehow resigned that they were in for another long night.
Yes there were signs of life from the Stones as perhaps you would expect from a wounded sole waiting to pass onto another place (in this instance through the relegation trap door in Ryman One South) but over all the visitors cannot have had a more comfortable night since they pipped Neil Cugley’s Folkestone Invicta to the Ryman One South crown last season.
Indeed it should have been worse for the Stones on 25 minutes when the home side were indebted to Nathan Paul for a fine goal line clearance.
Stefan Joseph sprinted through the descending mist down the right, and his cross-ricocheted through to Kieron McCann and his shot beat Walker only for Paul to acrobatically clear to safety.
Almost immediately Gary Wharton was put through but was denied by a fine Mitten block, and then Dan Stubbs sprinted clear only to shoot high and wide.
The second half of what proved to be the final game of Ford’s reign didn’t start much better fort he home side.
On 51 minutes, McCann’s free kick was half cleared only for Jazz Gold to bullet a volley goal wards that Walker did well to palm over.
Not even the introduction of top scorer Danny Hockton could inspire the Stones as just three minutes after coming on Hockton will be disappointed that he didn’t score.
Released by a lovely touch from Jay May, Hockton shot straight at the keeper with the goal seemingly at his mercy!
Croydon for the most part were now of course intent on just hitting the home side on the break, and it was from one of these that McCann so very nearly doubled the lead with a rasping drive that left Walker motionless as the ball whistled just past the keepers left post!
With the Stones getting increasingly desperate, they created chances in the closing stages but first May sliced wide from a good position and then Stubbs fired in a low shot that Mitten comfortably gathered at the base of his left post.
So what now for the Stones? On the field, the next game is against a Billericay Town side at Homelands on Saturday who currently occupy the last play-off place and sit top of the current form table, as they look to overturn a none point gap to safety in the last nine games of the season.
Off the field – Wednesday’s board meeting to discuss Ford’s successor could be one of the most important in the clubs history.
Maidstone United: Andy Walker, Nathan Paul, Ronayne Marsh Brown, Jay Saunders, Laurence Harvey, Simon Glover, Colin Richmond (Ellis Green 46), Dan Stubbs, Jay May, Gary Wharton (Tommy Mills 66), Alex Flisher (Danny Hockton 56).
Subs: Reis Boyle, Michael Phillips
Booked: Lawrence Harvey 90
Croydon Athletic: Charlie Mitten, Colin Hartburn, Leandre Lohourignon, Jazz Gold, Tom Hughes, Jeremy Williams, Danny Elgar, Kieron McCann, Lasse Weber (Shabazz Baidoo 70), Stefan Joseph, Stefan Rasmussen.
Subs: Kevin Seefah, Jon Cartledge, James King, Adam Peck
Goal: Lasse Weber 5
Booked: Tom Hughes 49
Attendance: 217
Referee: Mr Michael O’Keefe (Sevenoaks)
Assistants: Mr Frank Meillack (Crowborough, East Sussex) & Mr Stephen Brown (Ashford)
Red Dragon I.T. Ltd