Two Kent sides move to Ryman One North - EXCLUSIVE

THE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION have confirmed tonight that there will be two Kent sides that will be playing in the northern division next season - Chatham Town and newly promoted Thamesmead Town, writes Stephen McCartney.

There was uproar last summer when Dartford were switched against their will from the southern division to the northern - but the Darts, the only Kent side in the division, went on to win the title in their new surroundings.

Thamesmead Town boss Keith McMahon, whose side have clinched the Kent League double, has been seeking advice from Darts boss Tony Burman as he prepares the Bayliss Avenue club for Ryman League Division One North football.

But when asked about being placed in the northern division, McMahon, speaking EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk tonight, was pleased to have escaped from the “mundane” Kent League.

“Surprised to be honest with you,” he said. “I thought, with the three sides coming down, Boreham Wood, East Thurrock and Leyton, I thought we’d all be put into the northern but Boreham Wood, who finished fourth from bottom, have been reprieved and have stayed in the premier.”

McMahon revealed that he spoke to the Dartford manager last month to get as much information on the northern division.

“I spoke to Tony Burman and he basically told me that if you think the northern is easier, it’s not. It’s a strong league,” warned McMahon.

“He’s been in both (the southern and northern division) in two years and he’s the best person to talk to.”

Despite Dartford initially being in uproar over the decision to switch the Princes Park outfit to another league - instead of Molesey, who ended up finishing at the foot of the southern division - McMahon is relishing their new surroundings.

He said: “The sides don’t know us. We played Ware in the Vase a couple of years ago, Waltham Abbey in the London Cup, apart from that, no-one knows us - Chatham know us.

“It’s something new, there’s plusses and minuses, but the minuses, the attendance point of view, we miss out on some of the bigger clubs coming down to us, the local derbies, that’s the downside.

“The plus side is nobody knows us and we’ll be playing brand new sides. The Kent League has got stale and mundane now and everyone knows us. In this division no one will know us and we don’t know them.

“It makes my job exciting, getting out to watch our opponents.

“We’re just over the moon to get into the Ryman League and the plusses are there.

“Our derbies now are Tilbury, Aveley, Brentwood, Redbridge - and Chatham.”

Knowing that his side will lock horns with Chatham Town on Boxing Day, McMahon doesn’t mind the travelling through the Dartford tunnel for 20 away league games.

He said: “When you step up into this level of football and the professionalism you should go with what’s (in front of you).

“We want to travel to Potters Bar on a Tuesday night - and there’s 16 other Kent League club’s wanting to swap places with me.”

Unlike Dartford, at least the Mead have a Kent derby to look forward to in the league next season.

“We know who we will be playing on Boxing Day,” added McMahon.

But can the Mead follow in the Darts footsteps and win the division?

“Win it? Who knows,” he replied. “My ambition is to win every single game that I prepare my side for.

“We have to be realistic, we don’t know the finances, we’re going to have a go. We’re ambitious, we have to be realistic, stay in the division and go from there.”

The Thamesmead Town manager read out an email that the club received from Mr Nick Robinson with next season’s Ryman League line-up, Kent sides in CAPITALS.

Ryman League Constitution 2008-2009

Ryman Premier League
AFC Hornchurch
Ashford Town (Middlesex)
Billericay Town
Boreham Wood
Canvey Island
Carshalton Athletic
DARTFORD
DOVER ATHLETIC
Harlow Town
Harrow Borough
Hastings United
Hendon
Heybridge Swifts
Horsham
MAIDSTONE UNITED
MARGATE
RAMSGATE
Staines Town
Sutton United
TONBRIDGE ANGELS
Tooting & Mitcham United
Wealdstone

Ryman League Division One North
Aveley
Brentwood Town
CHATHAM TOWN
Cheshunt
Concord Rangers
East Thurrock United
Ilford
Enfield Town
Great Wakering Rovers
Hillingdon Borough
Leyton
Maldon Town
Northwood
Potters Bar Town
Redbridge
THAMESMEAD TOWN
Tilbury
Waltham Abbey
Waltham Forest
Ware
Wingate & Finchley
Witham Town

Ryman League Division One South
ASHFORD TOWN
Burgess Hill Town
Chipstead
Corinthian-Casuals
CRAY WANDERERS
Crowborough Athletic
Croydon Athletic
Dulwich Hamlet
Eastbourne Town
Fleet Town
FOLKESTONE INVICTA
Godalming Town
Kingstonian
Leatherhead
Merstham
Metropolitan Police
SITTINGBOURNE
Walton & Hersham
Walton Casuals
WHITSTABLE TOWN
Whyteleafe
Worthing

Visit the following websites:

www.thamesmeadtownfc.co.uk

www.chathamtownfc.net

www.isthmian.co.uk