My players' want to finish the job they've started, says Herne Bay boss Simon Halsey

HERNE BAY manager Simon Halsey has confirmed that his players’ have agreed to play for nothing following the news that the club’s sponsor have withdrawn their financial backing, writes Stephen McCartney.


The club are unbeaten at the top of the Kent Hurlimann Football League table with ten wins and two draws from 12 games and booked their place in the last 64 of The FA Carlsberg Vase following a resilient 3-1 win over Winchester City at Winch’s Field last weekend.

Halsey takes his side to play Combined Counties League side Hanworth Villa in the Third Round on 3 December and he will travel to Croydon tonight to watch their next FA Vase opponents, who have a 100% record on home soil.

The club’s sponsors, Safety Net Associates, have opted to withdrawal their backing of the Winch’s Field club after three years’, owing “to the current financial climate’ and Herne Bay are expected to name a new chairman this week and are actively seeking a replacement sponsor to bridge the gap.

Halsey said: “A little bit of a set-back really, not just in the players but just the whole club really because over the last three years’ since Safety Net have been involved we’ve been going forward so it’s just going to put in a stumbling block where we was going at the moment.

“Playing wise, managing wise and coaching staff and all that hopefully there won’t be too much effect on the club.”

Halsey revealed that the club’s playing staff were told of the current situation at Winch’s Field last night and Halsey was heartened by his players’ reaction.

He said: “We had a big meeting last night before training, a good hour all sitting down and talking and the facts were there for the players’ to see, the facts and position and where we are in the league, in the FA Vase and all of the other cups.

“The players’ know that and that’s a little life-line that I’ve got to keep them all – they all said they want to stand by myself and they want to play for Herne Bay Football Club and we want to finish the job that we started and go from there really.

“They are going to be playing for absolutely nothing at the moment.

“It’s testament really  that it just shows how far we’ve come, me as a manager and the connection I’ve got with the players’ and the connection they got with the club and none of them want to go – they want to finish the job they’ve started!”

Herne Bay are presently four points clear of tenants Canterbury City at the top of the Kent Hurlimann Football League and travel to sixth-placed Fisher on Saturday.

Fisher Athletic suffered the same fate around this time of the year when they were forced to play for nothing during their final ill-fated Conference South campaign, which saw them finish at the foot of the table and wound up due to the club’s unpaid tax-bill in May 2009.

But although Herne Bay’s problems aren’t that bad, Halsey insists its business as usual for their trip to Champion Hill.

He said:  “My players ain’t going all that way on Saturday and just go through the motions – that’s why they decided to stay.  They wanted to stay and win the league.

“Not just Fisher, if any of the club’s in the Kent League think that Herne Bay are going to be an easy touch and roll over then they’re going to have a very, very sharp shock because its business as usual.

“I’m going to Croydon tonight to watch Hanworth Villa for the following Saturday.  I’m going to do my job, the players’ trained last night and they’re training tomorrow night, so it’s business as usual. 

“I’m too professional in what I do and the players’ are too professional with what they want to do so there will be no let-up in what we’re trying to achieve.

Halsey insisted the club’s troubles will not finish off his team’s chances of clinching the Kent League title at the end of the season.

“If anything, it’s going to make us stronger,” he said.

“It will pull us together.  We’ll be fighting tooth and nail like we have done since the start of the season.

“I think it will unite us a little bit more and just let everyone in the Kent League know what a unit we are.  We’re all in it together.  As
I say if anyone thinks we’re going to be a soft touch from now on there going to be very much gravely mistaken!”

Fisher boss Steve Firkins, meanwhile, is satisfied with the season so far but is urging his squad to step up a gear as the half-way point of the season draws near.

Fisher are heading into a crucial stage of the season and will be boosted with news that some key players are returning to fitness, although recent form has been mixed with two wins, two draws and two defeats in the last six outings.

Last week saw the return of Charlie Helps to the first team after a lengthy spell on the sidelines. Helps is still returning to full fitness alongside Danny Hunt who has had a gradual reintroduction to the side over the last two weeks after recovering from a groin strain.

Peter Afolayan returns to the club after a spell at Croydon Athletic where he scored four goals in seven league appearances and could be in for a starting place following a substitute appearance at Holmesdale at the weekend.

Firkins told www.fisherfc.co.uk:  “We’re still struggling with injuries a little and it’s only now we’re getting Charlie Helps and Danny Hunt back to full fitness. Billy Walton is making a good recovery and is back in training and that will give us a boost when he returns. We’ve got Peter (Afolayan) back too now from Croydon, a move which has come at just the right time I’d say with these big games we’ve got coming up.

“Although results recently haven’t been ideal I still believe ability-wise we have what it takes to compete at the very top with the likes of Herne Bay. It’s just a case of us keeping concentration and making sure we raise our game and give 110% every time we step out there.”

Speaking before Herne Bay’s financial problems came to light, Firkins added: “Herne Bay have obviously got the biggest budget in the league this season and so its no surprise really to see them where they are, they want to make no mistake this time after being runners up twice in two years and fair play to them for that approach. I hope the fact that their players are on whatever they’re on gives our boys that bit of added incentive, our players don’t get paid but there’s a pride in wearing the Fisher shirt because of the history and also playing for what for many is their local non-league side.

“I’d like to think that’s enough for us to go out there and more than match Herne Bay despite finances.

“Me and Bill (Walton) have got a good relationship with Simon at Herne Bay and he’s a manager I’ve got a lot of time for. Saying that, it’s all about us getting a result on Saturday, they’re unbeaten so far this season and you could look at the table and think they’ve had a relatively easy time of it.

“They have to slip up against someone at some point though and provided we’re up for it there’s no reason we can’t be that team on Saturday.”

Visit Fisher’s website: www.fisherfc.co.uk

Visit Herne Bay’s website: www.hernebayfc.net

Fisher  v  Herne Bay
Kent Hurlimann Football League
Saturday 26^th November 2011
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Champion Hill Stadium, Dog Kennel Hill, Edgar Kail Way, East Dulwich, London SE22 8BD