Soccer Shorts: Neville Southall brings the FA Cup to Margate

Friday 04th September 2009

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GOALKEEPER Shaun Alliston, 21, was this week released by Ramsgate and is expected to sign for their Thanet neighbours Margate.

“Opportunities are limited following the signing of Sam Mott (from Ebbsfleet United) and Shaun has now been in discussions with another local side,” said Ramsgate secretary Martin Able.

Jim Ward’s men welcome Burgess Hill Town to Southwood Stadium tomorrow.

Ramsgate’s attempts to sign striker Dave Cory from Folkestone Invicta were dented, as the former Whitstable Town striker opted to stay at Cheriton Road.

CRAY WANDERERS’ fully paid-up members of the ‘100 CLUB’ will now be entitled to £1.00 off the cost of entry to all of the club’s home Ryman Premier League games at Hayes Lane, upon presentation of their ‘100 Club’ card at the time of entry.

The Wands welcome Canvey Island to Hayes Lane tomorrow.

SITTINGBOURNE’S Supporters’ club committee regret to announce that, due to a lack of support ,the Music Quiz scheduled for tomorrow night has been cancelled. The next planned event is a Wine & Wisdom evening on Friday, 27th November. A statement issued on www.sittingbournefc.co.uk said: “I would take this opportunity to remind all supporters that, whilst the Supporters’ Club committee is willing to organise events, their success or otherwise is dependant on your support. Unfortunately, this has an impact on the level of funds we can generate for Sittingbourne Football Club.”

Sittingbourne welcome Walton & Hersham to Bourne Park tomorrow.

STEVE CLARIDGE is coming out of retirement at the age of 43 to help cash-strapped Blue Square South side Weymouth. Claridge, a former player-manager at the club six years ago, is set to play for nothing against Bromley in tomorrow’s home clash. Striker Claridge has to date played 1,008 professional games in a career spanning more than two decades.

THE FA CUP is coming to Margate’s Hartsdown Park next Thursday, 10th September. The Football Association together with sponsors E.ON will be bringing the famous trophy to the Ryman Premier League club.

The central character will be Margate’s former Everton and Wales goalkeeper Neville Southall. Big New appeared in four FA Cup finals for the Toffees, collecting two winners’ medals in the process.

Southall will be interviewed about his experiences in the greatest club competition in the world and his view on the greatest saves ever.

In addition, the players, who will be training as they prepare for Saturday’s home clash against rivals Sutton United in the first qualifying round, will be interviewed. There will be significant media and FA interest in the event at Hartsdown Park and the match will be profiled, as one of the major ties of the round.

Supporters are of course invited to come along to Hartsdown Park on Thursday evening, from 5:30pm. The Hartsdown bar will be open and they’ll be an opportunity to see the FA Cup and have your picture taken with the famous trophy, plus an opportunity to see Terry Yorath and his players in training.

Margate travel to Ashford Town (Middlesex) tomorrow.

FOLKESTONE INVICTA, who welcome Horsham YMCA to Cheriton Road tomorrow, are holding a programme fair in Stripes Club on Sunday, 13th September. The event kicks-off at 11am, with dealers from all over the South East attending, and 1000s of programmes will be on sale. Entry costs just 50p and kids go free.

BECKENHAM TOWN return to FA Vase action tomorrow for the first time in six years when Sussex County League side Wealden visit Eden Park Avenue. Teddy Sheringham, meanwhile, is expected to be in a television studio for England’s friendly international with Slovenia at Wembley tomorrow, instead of donning the red shirt of Beckenham Town in the match.

SEVENOAKS TOWN boss Simon Jones, who takes his side to Hassocks tomorrow, wants his players to stop feeling sorry for themselves, having been dumped out of the FA Cup in midweek.

Ryman One South side Dulwich Hamlet came away from Greatness Park with a 2-0 win on Tuesday night, and Jones wants his players to be positive for their trip to Sussex County Leaguers Hassocks in the first qualifying round of the FA Vase tomorrow.

“Now we focus on the Vase, but that’s something where we can have a good crack at it,” Jones told www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

“Hassocks are a midtable side so it will be interesting to pit our wits against them on Saturday.”

The Dulwich Hamlet game attracted the largest crowd of the season to Greatness Park, but Jones expects fans to drift away in time for the visit of Lordswood next Saturday.

“I’m just disappointed that we didn’t repay their faith by getting them the result and kicking on,” said Northumberland born Jones.

“The proof of the pudding’s going to be our next home game and see how many people will come down and join us for that.

“When you talk to people outside of football and they say ’you are you playing’ and you say the FA Cup, it’s a total different reaction to playing (Kent League games).”

NORTON SPORTS, meanwhile, make their first appearance in the competition, when they lock horns with Lingfield, managed by former Holmesdale and Croydon bosses Tony Beckingham and Ken Thurgood. That game takes place at Herne Bay’s Winch’s Field.

ERITH TOWN welcome Canning Town to the Erith Sports Stadium, Avenue Road, Erith tomorrow - it’s the first time the east London visitors have featured in the FA Vase.

HYTHE TOWN boss Scott Porter, who takes his side to Oakley Road to play Greenwich Borough in the Kent League tomorrow, insists his side will remain focused on the job in hand, and forget about next weekend’s mouth-watering FA Cup showdown against Kent League rivals Faversham Town at Reachfields Stadium.

Porter, speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk, wants to pick up another three points in Bromley tomorrow (against Greenwich Borough).

He said: “It’s another tough game. I’m not one for getting carried away, you can’t get carried away because it’s only the start of the season.

One hundred percent Porter added: “There’s no big time Charlies in the team and we won’t generate that and that’s what I don’t want. We’ve got a good bunch of lads and we do things together and we’re going to carry doing things together.”