Southall's coaching is a fillip for our promotion bid, says Ward - EXCLUSIVE

GOALKEEPING LEGEND Neville Southall has teamed up with Ramsgate to coach the club towards promotion into the Blue Square South, writes Stephen McCartney.

The former Everton and Wales goalkeeper, who lives locally in Deal, and has previously managed Dover Athletic, joined the sixth placed Ryman Premier League side a couple of days ago.

And Rams boss Jim Ward, who welcomes Harlow Town to Southwood Stadium on Saturday, admits it’s a “fillip” for his players for their last fourteen league games of the season.

Southall, now 50, needs no introduction, having made 750 appearances for Everton during a seventeen-year career at Goodison Park.

The Welshman signed for the Merseyside outfit from Bury for £150,000 in July 1981.

His honours include making a record number of appearances for his country (93), and winning both the League title and FA Cup twice, as well as the European Cup-Winners Cup.

Right-back Sam Vallance, currently out with a cruciate ligament injury, has been utilising his skills as a personal trainer to assist Ward.

“We made a few changes in the training regime,” said Ward, speaking EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

“Sam Vallance is doing all the warm-up’s for me. It’s what he does as a job.

“I’ve got Neville Southall, legend isn’t he. He trained (the players on) Tuesday night in that horrendous weather - he’s superb.

“He’s offered his services. We’ve been lucky with Steve Butler, now with Stevenage Borough with Peter Taylor, and now we’ve got a legend and he’s training is really good. All the players need to do now is listen.

“He comes across very good as a coach. I was impressed as were the players. It’s a great time isn’t it, fourteen games to go, it’s a good fillip.”

Ward has had a busy week in the transfer market, with leading striker Steffan Ball, 28, transferring to Blue Square South basement side Sutton United for an undisclosed fee on Tuesday morning.

“Steffan wanted to go, that really was the bottom line,” explained Ward. “He wanted to give it a go in the Conference South.

“Sutton had already made two offers for him that weren’t acceptable and one that we couldn’t refuse.

“We could swap places (next season). I don’t care what happens to Sutton, I only care what happens to Ramsgate.”

And on the funds that he’s received from selling Ball, the manager added: “I’ve got the right to do what I want with it. If I use it, I’ll use it. If I don’t, then it will stay in the club. I’ve been given carte-blanch.”

Ward has used the money from Ball’s wages to bring in “flair player” Lenny Piper, 30, on a free-transfer from Kent League highflyers Beckenham Town.

Piper is a former England youth international who started as a junior at Wimbledon before moving on to Gillingham for two years for a fee of £40,000.

From there he joined Welling United and then St Albans City before stints at Farnborough Town and then Dagenham & Redbridge in 2003, with a loan spell at Margate from November 2003 to March 2004.

More recently he was a regular at Fisher Athletic but was released with most of the first team squad at the end of last season and has played in the Kent League for Beckenham Town before signing for the Rams last night.

“I could have got him before Christmas but I didn’t have room for him in the wage bill,” explained Ward.

“But as Steffan’s gone, he’ll get a bit of that. He’s a flair player that you chuck on the pitch and will get you goals.”

Also arriving is left-back Lee Craig, 21, who arrives from Kent League side Slade Green.

Craig, who started out as a trainee at Queen’s Park Rangers before playing for the youth teams at Wimbledon and West Ham United, joined Slade Green from their neighbours Dartford just before Christmas.

He can play as a full-back or in the centre of defence and is the brother of Crystal Palace defender Tony Craig.

And Ward said: “I’ve had him watched two or three times. Simon Pettit’s watched him, one of the committee has watched him and he’s been recommended to me and Dean Hill’s suspended for three games (as from next Tuesday).

Ward knows these changes this week should increase his side’s chances of finishing in the play-off places.

“Well, in my opinion, will Ramsgate ever get closer to the Conference?” asked Ward.

“We’re sat knocking on the door, if we make the right moves now, who knows? The chairman has decided to give it a go.”

Harlow Town are the visitors to Southwood Stadium on Saturday and Ward tells his players to wipe the smiles off the Essex boys’ faces.

He said: “Massive game, they beat us 3-0 up there and they attempted to do it with a swagger, which a few of the lads weren’t happy about - they tried to take the p**s.

“We’ve only got fourteen games left and it’s at home so we’re at home so we must win.”

And Tooting & Mitcham United, who are fighting it out with leaders Dover Athletic for the Ryman League Division One South title, visit Southwood Stadium for a place in the semi-finals of the League Cup on Tuesday night.

“The chairman is desperate to win something,” said Ward. “As a manager, this is as long as I’ve gone without winning a trophy. We didn’t win anything last year. We had a great season so we’ll be giving it a full go on Tuesday.”

Damian Abel, meanwhile, is cup-tied for that game, and as mentioned earlier, Hill starts his three match ban.

Meanwhile, striker Glen Levy, 19, previously with Millwall, Arsenal and Stevenage Borough, trained with the Rams tonight.

“He was invited down a couple of weeks ago, he came down and I wasn’t there, I was on holiday” explained Ward.

“We had torrential weather so no-one had a chance to look at him properly so he’s come down on his own accord by train - he’s another player with more potential.”

Visit Ramsgate’s website: www.ramsgate-fc.co.uk

Ramsgate v Harlow Town
Ryman Premier League
Saturday 9^th February 2008
Kick Off 3:00pm
At Southwood Stadium, Prices Avenue, Ramsgate, Kent CT11 0AN