Tomorrow will be my last game in charge of Sittingbourne, says Marc Seager

MARC SEAGER says his temporary stint in charge of Sittingbourne has whetted his appetite to return to management next season.



Seager, 39, takes charge of his fourth and final game when Sittingbourne welcome Eastbourne Town to Bourne Park, before he hands the reigns back over to manager Joe Dowley.

During his temporary spell, Sittingbourne have picked up a crucial point against basement side Whyteleafe in a goal-less draw at Bourne Park, lost 2-0 away to Chipstead and held Hythe Town to a 1-1 draw at Reachfields Stadium in midweek.

“Joe Dowley had a holiday to Cuba and I work for Andy Spice, the Sittingbourne chairman, and he asked me if I could stand in for him while Joe was away.  I’ve known Andy a long time, we’re  friends and he asked me a favour so I said ‘yes, I’ll do it,” said Seager, who guided Whitstable Town to their first ever Kent League title in April 2007.

Despite only having Burgess Hill Town and Whyteleafe below them in the Ryman League Division One South table, Sittingbourne are thirteen points clear of the sole relegation place.

Reflecting on his three games in charge of the club, Seager said: “It’s gone very well really.  The first one was difficult because the players didn’t know I was going to be there. I’d only met the players at half-past-one against Whyteleafe. 

“After a run of five straight defeats and conceding a lot of goals a 0-0 draw gave us something to work on.

“We had a great week at training, the lads responded very well and worked hard and I was very optimistic about the game at Chipstead.  I really felt after the week we had we’d go there and get something.

“After a few constructive words at half-time, I got a great reaction from the players’ and really we probably deserved to get something out of the game.  Again it was sloppy defending and we gave away a sloppy second goal that killed us off really.

Seager was delighted with their hard-fought point away to Scott Porter’s Hythe Town in midweek.

“Hythe is a hard place to go to, they’re doing very well and I knew we were in for a difficult game,” said Seager.

“I asked them for a reaction.  I asked them how they respond to that defeat on Saturday and they responded in the right way.  I told them after the game I was proud of their performance.

“Hythe are a good side, very direct but in a constructive way.  We were under a lot of pressure but we stood up to that pressure. I felt we fully deserved our point on the night. In fairness a draw was a fair result but I was disappointed we didn’t get all three in the end as their goal came from sloppy defending.

“If someone offered me a 1-1 draw at a quarter-to-eight I would have taken it!”

Seager added:  “The performance was there. The lads’ have got better and better.  They trained hard last night to really we should go into the Eastbourne game full of confidence.”

Eastbourne Town arrive in Kent sitting in thirteenth-place in the Ryman League Division One South table, with 36 points from 31 games.

Seager wants to sign-off with the side’s seventh league win of a disappointing season.

He said: “Joe (Dowley) is back from holiday but he’s come back with an illness so I’ve had to re-arrange things and stand in tomorrow.

“A very tough game, they’re doing very well.  They got a point last week against Maidstone and beat Bognor in the week, which I don’t read too much into it as some people might as it’s a local derby and teams raise themselves for local derbies.

“They’re going to be in good spirits and full of confidence but I’m expecting a performance from the players’ tomorrow.

“I’m hopeful they’ve come through a bit of a downtime where confidence has been really low and I’m hoping they take the display from Tuesday night’s game and put in a performance tomorrow and take the positives out of Tuesday and hopefully we can get three points.”

Seager added: “To be honest with you, I’ve loved every minute of it really.  I come in as a favour and maybe that’s why I’ve enjoyed it so much as I knew I was here for three or four games.  It’s like I’ve never been away. The response from the players’ have been fantastic.

“I try to be as professional as I can and I try to instil the professionalism into the players’, try to make us hard to beat and get some points on the board.

“If I’ve helped in any way by bringing in the five or six new players like I have and made the team stronger both on and off the pitch, made them mentally stronger as well, as far as I’m concerned Joe’s coming back to a squad that’s a lot stronger than when he left.”

Seager admits he cannot commit to management for the remainder of this season – but will consider offers for next.

“I’ve enjoyed it,” he said.  “It’s only been a couple of weeks’, but I’ve enjoyed being on the training pitch, preparing for games and talking to players’.

“It’s strange how you just go back into it and it’s felt I’ve not had a break at all. Only time will tell, who knows what the future holds. 

“Tomorrow will be my last game, because even Joe wanted me to stay on and help him, I wouldn’t be able to do that because as I wasn’t expecting to be back into football this season and I’ve got prior arrangements arranged.  There’s only six or seven Saturday’s of the season left and I’m missing for three maybe four of those and there’s no way I can commit to something as I’m all and nothing as a guy and if I can’t be totally committed myself how can I ask the players to be committed?

“That’s what the players’ have had out of me for the past two weeks – 100%.   Sittingbourne have made me very welcome and I’ve enjoyed being at the helm for these four games.  Hopefully, when I do walk away after tomorrow’s game then the side’s in a lot stronger position.

“I’d always listen to any job offer.  If I’m honest, I’ve already had a couple of people touch base with me for the future but until something concrete comes along, you don’t know.

“I’ve enjoyed myself, I’ve really enjoyed it.  At the end of the day, football’s in your blood and I’ve always been around football.  I’ve got other prior arrangements that I’ve already arranged.  Unless I can give it 100% commitment I won’t take any job. 

“The next job will be one I can give it my full commitment.”

Visit Sittingbourne’s website: www.sittingbournefc.co.uk  

Sittingbourne  v  Eastbourne Town
Ryman League Division One South
Saturday 17^th March 2012
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Bourne Park, Central Park Stadium, Eurolink Industrial Estate, Church Road, Sittingbourne, Kent ME10 3SB