On the night that Whitstable secured Ryman status, Seager says: We will move forward next season

WHITSTABLE TOWN manager Marc Seager is delighted to have maintained the club’s Ryman League Division One South status tonight.

Their 3-2 win at local rivals Sittingbourne was their third successive victory and ensured that the club will be playing at this level when the new season kick’s off in August.

“I was always confident that we had the personnel, both on and off the pitch to stake our claim as a Ryman club,” a proud Seager told www.whitstabletownfc.co.uk, as his side climbed to 15^th in the table - 18 points from the drop with only five games left to play.

“The weekend’s results mean we have a twenty plus goal difference over Horsham YM who are second to bottom, with fifteen points between us.

“It means they have to win their remaining five games 3-0 and we have to lose all our remaining games without scoring another goal, so I think we can safely say we are OK.”

Asked if he thought there was ever a time when survival looked difficult, Seager, a former Sittingbourne player, said: “If I am honest the lowest point was the defeat against Walton Casuals, we needed to lift ourselves after that result, but we did and never stopped believing; we had the backing of the club and the players to see us through.

“I am not going to harp on about the budget, we have to live within our means, that in itself is a leveller and makes my job that little more difficult.

“From the winning Kent League side we had last year I felt we had a bunch of players, who once they had adapted to life in a tougher league would do alright, for one reason or another, not because they were not wanted by the club, a number of players decided to move on.

“There were times during the season when I had only one fit recognised striker to pick, others times through injury only one fit centre back to call on, but we came through and myself and staff as the management and more importantly the players have matured and adjusted to life in a tougher league and will be better equipped to move forward next year for the experience gained this.”

There were expectations on Whitstable Town that they were going to follow in the footsteps of both Ramsgate and Maidstone United, who both won back-to-back titles following promotion out of the Kent League.

But Seager insisted from the off that he had a much lower budget than the other two Kent clubs and expectations were to stay up.

He said: “At the beginning of the season, just like the other twenty-one managers in the league I felt we had a chance to prove ourselves, the reality was that the chairman and I sat down and spoke about what we could achieve this season, survival was the key.

“We have done that and now, apart from going for as many points as we can, my thoughts are already turning to next season.

“I know when Alan Gower and the chairman went to the first meeting of the Ryman League they both felt the tremendous weight of expectations in the room from Ramsgate and Maidstone’s back to back promotions.

“As a club we knew that was beyond us, yes we have managed to raise our standards for the big games; the players know that any real success will only come if they treat every game as a ‘Dover’ and I believe we can.

“This season has gone so quickly, all the wonderful new grounds we have visited, the new friend we have made along the way, but firstly we need to put this season to bed, then start thinking about next and the challenges it will bring.

“With the support and backing I receive from the club, my staff players and supporters, my message is we will be ready.”

Chairman Tony Rouse paid tribute to the management staff and everyone connected with the club following tonight’s success.

He added: “I am delighted for Marc and his staff, all the players and supporters and all the local business’s who have supported Whitstable in their very first season in the new league, and that we will be a Ryman League club next season.”

Article courtesy of www.whitstabletownfc.co.uk