Seager reflects on a historic year for Whitstable Town

Monday 31st December 2007

One of the biggest success stories here in Kent this year were Whitstable Town - and their manager Marc Seager, writes Stephen McCartney.
During his first full season as a manager, Seager clinched the club’s first ever Kent League title after a 122 year wait, as well as winning the Kent Senior Trophy at Dartford’s Princes Park Stadium, Kent League Challenge Shield, and reached the Kent League Cup Final.

And despite going into the new year in the bottom five of the Ryman League Division One South table after 23 games, the Oysterboys have held champions-elect Dover Athletic to two draws in front of over 1,000 fans.

Seager, speaking to the club’s website, www.whitstabletownfc.co.uk, reflected on an impressive 12 months at The Belmont.

He said: “As another year comes to close in the history of Whitstable Town Football Club, the year demanding that this football club has ever experienced and witnessed in its history.

“The last game of 2006 was a league match away at Deal Town, which got abandoned early in the 2^nd half because of bad weather, and who would have said on that day that 12 months later we would be finishing 2007 playing a league fixture away at Dover Athletic in front of 1100 people, having through the year picked up 3 pieces of silverware, contested another cup final and gained promotion?

“If someone had said to me that day at Deal that all that would happen in 2007, in all honesty I would have laughed but it did happen and is something that I am very proud to have been a big part off.

“I am only a couple of weeks shy of completing 5 years at The Belmont as firstly a player and now as manager and believe me when I say that I have never felt so at home with a club as I do Whitstable Town and what ever the future holds for Marc Seager this football club will always have a place in my heart.

“When I joined the club I did so because I knew the club wanted to go forward and believed that as a player I, with the help of others could help play a major part in waking this sleeping giant and when you look back at the last 5 years the club has gone from strength to strength, so I definitely made the right choice back in January 2003.

“Although people on the outside looking in (some of those people actually believe they are inside but aren’t) question the future of this club all the time which is something that I find almost laughable at times because just take a step back and look at facts, this football club over the past couple of years especially; has come such a long way and been so successful.

“Myself, my staff, the chairman and the committee are and will continue to not only build on what we’ve achieved so far but also continue to make sure that this football club grows bigger and stronger, financially, player wise, supporter wise, generally all round as a club but that doesn’t mean we have to try and achieve these goals by hurting and ruining the club in any way.

“The whole of 2007 has been a fantastic year not only for the club but also for me personally too, a year that I didn’t want to end. The last 12 months has for me seen the positives totally outweigh the negatives, which wasn’t hard to do as there haven’t been any negatives for me apart from a few results but that’s part and parcel of this special game.

“To have been the first manager to bring the League title to the Belmont and end the 122 year wait is an achievement that no matter what else I achieve in my career is something that I am very proud of and very honoured to have been the first to have achieved this feat.

“Although very proud I am also very lucky to have such a great backroom staff in my right hand man Simon Halsey, goalkeeping coach Mark Lane and physio Graeme Brown, I am also lucky to have been able to work with not only great players but also great lads (past & present) throughout the past year and I thank them all for their hard work, their commitment, their time and all their efforts throughout 2007 and look forward to their continued efforts throughout 2008 and beyond as we continue to take this football club forward.

“I’d also like to thank the chairman Tony Rouse, Joe Brownett, Alan Gower, Bruce Smith and all the rest of the committee for their hard work and support throughout 2007 and it’s great to know as manager that we are all pulling in the same direction and all want the same end result - Whitstable Town Football Club continuing to move onwards and upwards.

“It only leaves me to wish everyone connected with the club, my staff, the players, the committee, all the fantastic supporters and their families a very happy and prosperous new year. I thank you all for the fantastic support and the memories of a fantastic 2007; long may it continue throughout 2008.”

Article courtesy of www.whitstabletownfc.co.uk