We do not want Neil Cugley to leave, says Folkestone Invicta chairman Mark Jenner

FOLKESTONE INVICTA chairman Mark Jenner says he wants long-serving boss Neil Cugley to stay at the club.



Margate, who are in third-place in the Ryman Premier League, with 36 points from 20 games, ten points behind Whitehawk but with two games in hand, approached the club for the services of the well-respected Cugley, following Chris Kinnear and Jake Leberl’s departure to form the new management team at Dover Athletic last Saturday.

Margate have today appointed their goalkeeper Craig Holloway as their caretaker-manager, with Simon Osborn and Danny Hockton coming in as coaches, after leaving Erith & Belvedere and Faversham Town respectively.

”Margate have made a temporary appointment of a caretaker manager for two weeks or as long as it takes to select a new permanent manager,” Mr Jenner told www.folkestoneinvicta.co.uk.

”We were approached on Saturday by Margate for permission to speak to Neil which we gave albeit reluctantly.

”We are grateful to Margate for contacting us in advance, which they were not compelled to do and which many other clubs would not have done.

”Neil is a leading candidate in their deliberations and rightly so as we regard him as the best non-league manager in Kent.

”We do not want him to leave but would not stand in his way if he wanted to prove himself as a higher level of football than we can currently offer.  Such opportunities do not come along very often especially with a real prospect of Conference football.”

Folkestone Invicta, who are presently sitting in thirteenth-place in the Ryman League Division One South table, with 30 points from 21 games, welcome fifth-placed Crawley Down Gatwick to Cheriton Road on Saturday.

Mr Jenner added: “Don’t forget Saturday, a good home match in prospect.  Come and give Neil your support and show him how much he is needed at the club.”

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

Folkestone Invicta  v  Crawley Down Gatwick
Ryman League Division One South
Saturday 26^th January 2013
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Cheriton Road, Folkestone, Kent CT19 5JU