The end of the line for Slade Green

Tuesday 14th July 2009

MARTIN FORD has explained why, he thinks, Slade Green are tendering their resignation from the Kent League this week, writes Stephen McCartney.

Earlier this evening, the Kent League had confirmed that they are in “preliminary discussions” with officials at The Small Glen club over their intentions to pull out of the League.

Kent League secretary Mr Roy Vinter confirmed that he would appreciate receiving the club’s resignation letter before the fixtures are published this weekend.

Slade Green is a suburb of Erith situated close to the industrial development alongside the River Thames between Woolwich and Dartford.

Originally Slade Green was represented by three club’s - The Wasps, St Augustines and Southern Railway Sports.

On the 6th June 1946 in a meeting at the Railway Hotel in Slade Green these three clubs merged and Slade Green Athletic F.C. (renamed Slade Green F.C. in 1986) was born.

The newly formed club set up home on a local piece of land which they named ‘The Glen’. The ground was renamed The Small Glen in 1987 in recognition of the late Charlie and Gert Small who had been involved with the club since it’s inception.

Green became members of the Kent League upon the start of the 1970/71 campaign and they reached their first major final in 1981 going down 2-1 to Crockenhill in a replayed Kent Senior Trophy Final following a 0-0 draw.

Just two years later Green progressed through to the Kent League Cup Final and claimed the trophy following a 2-1 win over Faversham Town. The club’s greatest day came in April 1992 when a 3-1 eclipse of Tunbridge Wells saw the club take the Kent Senior Trophy.

Meanwhile, the most successful player to come from the club is winger Dave Martin, who, after impressing for neighbouring Dartford, was sold to Crystal Palace and now stars for their south London rivals Millwall.

Another winger, Ryan Hayes, is a constant impressive performer for Tony Burman’s Darts.

But Ford, who confirmed tonight that he is no longer the club’s manager, issued the following three minute statement when www.kentishfootball.co.uk telephoned him late this evening.

“I’m not going to go into too much detail with you,” he said. “What I will say is that the club are going to make a statement on our official website very shortly.

“I promised the club that I won’t make a personal statement on what’s gone on at the club, because at the end of the day I respect the club’s wishes for what they want to do.

“All I will say to you at the moment, and you can quote me on that and I have told the club what I will say to you, is that at the moment there is no Slade Green Football Club.

“Ok, we have, well the club has, or the chairman has, I must say it’s only the chairman’s decision, it’s nobody else’s, it’s only the chairman’s decision. We haven’t got a committee, the committee that we have got is really just the chairman, if I’m honest with you.

“What I will say is the chairman (Brian Smith) has notified the Kent League with his intention to withdraw from the League and they have accepted that.

“What is happening now is that the club, as far as I’m aware, are in the process of finding out what it’s going to cost them to withdraw from the league, the FA competitions and everything.

“I’m under the impression that if the cost of that is too much money somehow they will try and get a team together so they haven’t got to pay the fines for next season.

“How they will do that I’ve not got a clue, it’s not none of my business now.

“But as far as I’m aware, if they can sustain the cost of the fines, the club will pack up. If they can’t sustain the cost of the fines then I think they will probably try find a team somewhere to get through this season.

“Whatever happens, the club will definitely pack up regardless if it’s the end of this season or the next season, but I think it’s got to do with how much they’re going to get fined, if they pull out of the league at this late stage.

“There’s nobody at the club now, everyone’s gone. Bruce Smith, the secretary, Rob Smith, who was the new secretary has gone, it’s only Brian now, so I don’t know what Brian wants to do, Brian Smith, the chairman.

“I could say a lot more, there’s a lot that has happened over the club over the last four weeks, all for the better I must say.

“We were all looking forward to the season, the club was in the most fantastic shape, that you could imagine, to start a new season.

“But unfortunately it’s one person’s decision that he’s pulled the plug on the team for whatever reason he has.

“He’s not a very well man at the moment Brian. He has made a very bad decision and a wrong decision, that’s my personal opinion.

“But I respect Brian, I get on very well with Brian, I like him as a man and as a person. It’s his football club at the end of the day , but he’s decided that he doesn’t want the agro of running one anymore. So you have to respect the man for his wishes.

“But I think the only way the club can survive is that the fines the FA will throw at them will be to what they can’t afford, if you know what I’m trying to say.

“I know there’s a reserve side, which is still in shape with Steve Webb, my ex assistant reserve team manager. They’ve been still training tonight so there may even be a plan B there that they come in to fulfil the fixtures for the season, I don’t know.

“All I know there is a story to be told, until the club issue an official statement in the next couple of days, I’m not prepared to elaborate anymore on the matter really.”

The club has declined to comment over the past two days, although club spokesman Robert Smith did say, “The statement will be made when we are ready.”

Visit Slade Green's website: http://www.clubwebsite.co.uk/sladegreenfc/