My long-term aim is to look at home grown talent, says Butler

Sunday 03rd January 2010

MARGATE boss Mark Butler says his long-term aim is to blood home grown talent at Hartsdown Park, writes Stephen McCartney.

Butler has been left rather frustrated with the lack of home games in recent weeks and yesterday’s 1-0 defeat to Kent rivals Maidstone United was the first home league game played since Harrow Borough claimed a 2-2 draw on 5th December.

Butler, 44, who hails in Aldershot, Hampshire , appreciates that the club’s geographical location will prove difficult to attract new players to Hartsdown Park unless the club splash the cash and having escaped going bust, having paid it’s tax bill, that is unlikely in the current economic climate.

Margate, who welcome a Tooting & Mitcham United side that occupy the final play-off berth to Hartsdown Park on Tuesday night, are one place above the Ryman Premier League trap door with 22 points from 19 games.

“We’ve had to go with a quick fix approach so far,” Butler told www.kentishfootball.co.uk after striker Danny Hockton haunted his former side by scoring the only goal of the game for Maidstone United.

“We’ve brought in Charlie Read (whose loan spell ended yesterday) and a couple of players we knew.

“But the long-term aim is to look at the reserves and youth and look for players we can sign up for the next 18 months to give us something to build on.

“We obviously haven’t got the Manchester City approach (by throwing money at it), but we are going to be building for the future.”

Looking forward to their home game against fifth-placed Tooting & Mitcham United, Butler is expected to be without Anthony Joseph, and Butler condemned the challenge on his man.

“He’s got his foot iced,” he revealed. “I thought it was a disgraceful tackle that has ripped open his sock and cut his ankle, but we are waiting to see how it reacts.

“But he’s taken the knock and it’s likely to be sore for a couple of days. It certainly means we’ve got to look within the squad.”

Butler added: “When you win, you want another game quickly to get a run going. Equally, when you’ve lost, you want another game to get back on track and Tooting on Tuesday gives us the ideal chance to do this.

“My team can play football, get the ball on the floor and we can hurt teams. Even though we weren’t at the races (against Maidstone United), we’ll give Tooting a game and if we can get six points out of nine over Christmas, I’ll take it.”

Visit Margate’s website: www.margate-fc.com to listen to commentary of this game

Margate v Tooting & Mitcham United

Ryman Premier League

Tuesday 5th January 2010

Kick Off 7:45pm

At Hartsdown Park, Hartsdown Road, Margate, Kent CT9 5QZ