We have 19 games to get a team together that will compete for the title next season - Margate CEO

Sunday 02nd February 2014

MARGATE chief executive Cliff Egan says the club have written off this season as they bring in new players that will be competing for promotion next season.

The club appointed former Aldershot Town and AFC Wimbledon manager Terry Brown and his assistant Stuart Cash in December and the new regime have been busy bringing in a number of new players with next season in mind.

Twenty players, including former manager Simon Osborn, have departed Hartsdown Park during the course of this season.

The Blues are sitting in sixteenth-place in the Ryman Premier League table with 32 points from 27 games, nine points clear of the relegation zone.

“I would like to share with our supporters the board’s plans and strategy for the future going forward on and off the field,” Egan told www.margate-fc.com.

“I know some of our fans are disappointed with our recent results, as are the management team and the board.

“Terry and Stuart were told when they came to the club that it was unlikely, though never give up on it, that we would reach the play-offs this season, so our pre-season starts now.

“We have nineteen games to get a team together that will compete for the Ryman Premier League title next season.

“Terry is and will be experimenting with players with players coming in and players going out over the recent weeks as he puts a squad that he and Stuart feel will have a good chance of promotion next season.

“By doing this we feel we will have an advantage over other clubs’. We know due to players on contracts that we will not be able to get all the players in this season but it gives us a chance to unearth some good players.

“Some players that Terry wants may not want to drop down to this level such is the calibre of players we are trying to attract to the club, which we have already witnessed but we will still be trying to bring the players that Terry and Stuart want by trying to sell the project we are embarking on to them.

“I think this expectation from our fans was very high when Bob (Laslett) took over the club and when Terry and Stuart were appointed it was not going to happen overnight. This is a journey though as our chairman keeps saying ‘get it right on the pitch and everything else will fall into place.’

“I have now explained the plan and I hope our supporters will be patient as I am sure Terry and Stuart will get it right given time. They were both brought to the club because they have taken Aldershot and AFC Wimbledon from the Ryman League to the Football League and the chairman wants the best for the club and our supporters.”

Margate hope to return to action on Tuesday night (7:45pm) when they travel to Bromley to play Cray Wanderers in the Ryman Premier League.

The Wands are rooted to the foot of the table with 14 points from 27 games and Keith Bird’s side are 12 points adrift of safety.

Visit Margate’s website: www.margate-fc.com