The standard of our league is going to be high this year, says Folkestone Invicta boss Neil Cugley

FOLKESTONE INVICTA boss Neil Cugley believes their division has got stronger since the last time the club were there, writes Stephen McCartney.



The Cheriton Road club clinched promotion from Ryman League Division One South two years ago after finishing runners-up to big-spending (and we all know now where they got that money from!) Croydon Athletic and winning home play-off games against Leatherhead (on penalties) and Godalming Town to clinch promotion under financial restraints.

But last season Cugley’s side struggled to cope with Ryman Premier League football and finished at the foot of the table.

Folkestone Invicta impressed during their opening 6-1 home win over Combined Counties League side Badshot Lea at the weekend,  thanks to goals from three of their strikers, a hat-trick from debutant Stuart King, James Dryden scored two and James Everitt headed home a sixth goal.

Cugley said: “I think it’s stronger, funny enough.  It’s a stronger squad and a stronger team that I had two years’ ago when we all but won it, but I think the standard would be high with your Maidstone’s, Croydon Athletic’s, Bognor’s and Whitehawk’s – they will all be good sides so we have to be stronger than them when we were a couple of years’ ago.

“I haven’t seen enough of (the division), but those four will have the finances to be pushing to go up the league’s where the other year it was only us and Croydon (Athletic), they were the big money club, where there will be three or four big money club’s this year so we have to hang onto the tails of them, I think.”

After suffering such a miserable campaign last season, Cugley wants his side to enjoy their football this time out.

He said: “The main thing is to have an enjoyable season.  I keep saying it.  We’ve had two years of really hard work.  We didn’t even know if we would start the season (two years ago), we put all of the youngsters in and they done brilliantly for us, they didn’t know if we would get paid, would we lose ten points (for going into administration), we did eventually, but we had a great season.

“We then went up last year, still had a few financial problems, still had a really tiny squad and just weren’t good enough for that league so we’re hoping for a really enjoyable season, play some good football and scoring some goals and at the end of the season if we have enough points, great, but whatever will be.”

When asked how many players he will run with this season, Cugley said: “I would’ve thought fifteen or sixteen, something like that.   That will be adequate at that standard.  The higher standard you need a bit more, we were obviously trying to run with a lot less and the year when we did really well two years’ ago we only had twelve.  We are able to have a little bit more competition for places so hopefully we should be alright.”

Visit Folkestone Invicta’s website: www.folkestoneinvicta.co.uk  

Chatham Town  v  Folkestone Invicta
Pre-Season Friendly
Tuesday 26^th July 2011
Kick Off 7:45pm
at Maidstone Road Sports Ground, Bournville Avenue, Chatham, Kent ME4 6ES