My old side want to stick one on me, says Butler

Tuesday 12th January 2010

MARGATE boss Mark Butler says his side must make a good impression on his former club, who are scheduled to visit Hartsdown Park on Saturday.

The 44-year-old, Aldershot based Butler, left Ashford Town (Middlesex) before he was appointed as Terry Yorath’s successor at Margate, taking charge for the first time away to high-flying Hastings United on 7th November.

Since then, Butler has been left frustrated with the number of home postponements and their defeat to Maidstone United on 2nd January was the first home league game since Harrow Borough visited Hartsdown Park on 5th December.

Margate’s trip to league leaders Dartford last weekend, like every other single game in Kent, fell foul to a frozen pitch, as the Big Freeze gripped the entire country.

“The whole programme of football has been decimated but there’s nothing we can do about it,” a frustrated Butler told www.margate-fc.com.

“It’s a set back for us, not so much in the fact that we’re losing a game, because everyone’s losing a game. More to the point that progress in our training and our fitness and that we’ve just been unable to get a facility which everyone can both a) train on safely; and b) get to safely with the recent weather.

“I’ve urged the lads to do a little bit on their own to keep their fitness up and I hope they will adhere to that - I’m sure they will.”

With the weather not so bad this week as it was last, Butler hoped, “I am confident though that we’ll be in on Tuesday and Thursday this week to get two good sessions in before we face my old club on Saturday.”

The major challenge caused by the wintry weather has been the disruption to preparation for matches and a loss of continuity.

And Butler said: “When you get regular (training) sessions, it almost becomes habit. You automatically go into a pattern of play; you automatically become fitter because you’re doing it more often.

“Good habits start to happen because you’re doing them over and over again.”

Hopefully the weather improves for the first time that Butler has faces his former side, Ashford Town (Middlesex), where he was successful on a shoe-string budget.

“I had some really good times there,” said Butler. “I want to win the game for Margate Football Club, that’s without doubt what I want to do and what we need to do.

“But of course, it has got a bit of spice in the knowledge that I know them, I’m sure they’ll want to stick one on me. I’m urging our crowd to welcome Ashford, (by making it) really, really noisy for them, show them what a good club Margate is.”

Quotes courtesy of Margate’s website: www.margate-fc.com - where you can listen to commentary of this match on Saturday

Margate v Ashford Town (Middlesex)

Ryman Premier League

Saturday 16th January 2010

Kick Off 3:00pm

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