New Margate boss O'Connell brings Saunders back for a third spell

Thursday 25th February 2010

MAIDSTONE UNITED chairman Paul Bowden-Brown has reacted angrily to the news that recently appointed player-coach Jay Saunders has defected to rivals Margate, writes Stephen McCartney.

“I was very surprised and disappointed when Jay accepted an offer to go back to Margate,” the chairman said in a statement to www.maidstoneunited.co.uk.

“Only last week he told the club’s website of his pleasure at becoming a player/coach. He also highlighted that other players had turned down offers to move because, and I quote ‘We are all good friends and have been together a long time.’

“He was also very supportive when I was forced to defer wages during January.

“That said, what’s done is done. I offer him my best wishes and thank him for his contribution.

“Players come and go, that’s the nature of the game. We’ll move on and get on with our priority, which is to secure our Ryman Premier Division status.”

Saunders has spent two spells at Margate, and in total scored 46 goals for the club in 312 starts.

During his first spell (under the guidance of manager Chris Kinnear) he enjoyed plenty of success as the club zoomed up from the Southern League (Southern Division) into the Conference at a rate of knots.

Margate finished in respectable positions (8th, 10th and 16th) place in the top-flight of non-league football, before Saunders left the club at the end of the 2003-04 season.

He did, however, return to the club for two season’s (2006-2008), dropping down to the Ryman Premier League, before signing for Maidstone United, where he agreed to become player-coach just after Peter Nott took over as manager earlier this month.

Nott, who took over the reigns following the departures of Alan Walker and Lloyd Hume, admitted the club couldn’t match Margate’s offer.

“Jay Saunders has left the club today to join Margate, which is obviously a big blow, one that I‘m very disappointed about because Jay accepted the role of players-coach and he‘s a very influential player” Nott told www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

“We’re very disappointed about that. The offer he was made by Margate, they were talking telephone numbers, that we just can’t compete with.

“Knowing our situation there was nothing we could do. We tried very hard to keep Jay and he seriously thought long and hard about it as well, but at the end of the day we just couldn’t compete and the money was important to him so he’s now moved on unfortunately.

Nott continued, “We’ve got two more players that will probably leave the club in the next 24 hours with similar offers that I can’t really talk too much about at the moment.

“We’ve got a signing that’s being completed tonight, again, I’d rather not talk about that until it’s all done and dusted so there is going to be a little bit of a change.

“Managers are looking at Maidstone because of the financial situation we find ourselves in. They’re probably targeting a few of our players.

“We’ve got a (training) session tonight. We need a good session and hope everyone will stick together.

“Because of the situation we find ourselves in, a couple of players will be subject to seven-day approaches so it will take a week or so to get it sorted.”

Subject to pitch conditions, in-form Harrow Borough visit Homelands Stadium at the weekend, and Nott is expecting a tough game against the 12th-placed Earlsmead outfit.

“Harrow are only three points off the play-off places,” said the boss. “They’re on an impressive run of form, the last six games they’re unbeaten.

“They’re going to be a team very high on confidence and they will certainly be a tough game but it’s a chance to put right our poor home form.

“We’ve got to start improving that and Saturday is a great opportunity to do that, against a team in good form.”

Saunders is not the only person to return to Hartsdown Park today, as former player, Ian O’Connell, was tonight unveiled as the club’s third manager of the season.

O’Connell rejoins Margate from Great Wakering Rovers on a contract until the end of next season, with the immediate priority to retain the club’s Ryman Premier League status.

John Keister - who had taken charge of team affairs following Mark Butler’s resignation - continues in a coaching role.

In addition, Margate have also announced an intention to appoint a director of football, whose role will be to liaise between the team on the pitch and the board. This structure has been decided upon with the full support of the manager.

Margate are presently sitting inside the bottom three in the Ryman Premier League table.

Nott added: “Every year that I’ve been connected in football people either battling against relegation or fighting for the play-off’s all off a sudden they find a little bit of cash that is probably stored in somebody’s attic and it comes out and they probably look at clubs who they know have financial situations.

“I think the problem that we’ve had is we’ve taken over a club and the players have been very loyal. They’ve been playing for a club that the wages have been deferred for a month and that goes around and players are attracted to more money.

“One thing that it will do, we’ve got a good squad, a lot of good youngsters and they will be pivotal between now and the end of the season.

“That will show who wants to play for Maidstone United. We just hope everyone rallies together now.”

Visit Maidstone United’s website: www.maidstoneunited.co.uk

Maidstone United v Harrow Borough

Ryman Premier League

Saturday 27th February 2010

Kick Off 3:00pm

At Homelands Stadium, Ashford Road, Kingsnorth, Ashford, Kent TN26 1NJ