We wish Richard Langley well at Horsham, says Ramsgate boss Jim Ward

RAMSGATE boss Jim Ward says he understands Richard Langley’s decision to end their five-year working relationship to join some familiar faces at Horsham, writes Stephen McCartney.


The Ryman Premier League club unveiled Justin Luchford, 34, and Hugo Langton, 36, as their new management team earlier in the month and the former Faversham Town and Thamesmead Town pair have enticed Langley to join them in west Sussex.

Langley will see this as a good career move as he was dropped down to coaching Ramsgate’s reserve and Ryman Youth League sides next season after Ward revamped his management team this summer.

“Richard’s been with me now for five years,” said Ward.  “He’s done all sorts, reserve team, assistant manager, first team coach.  He’s a really nice man, really good at what he does and he puts a lot of effort into it.

“We decided to go down a different route in the first team.  We’ve got Timmy Dixon (as my assistant manager) and Darren Beale (coach) and Richard was going to drop down, not drop down, it’s a very important job.  He was going to do, hopefully the under 21’s in the Ryman Youth League and the reserves and bring through all these great kids that we’ve got down at Ramsgate, which at the moment we’re inundated with them and it was a massive, massive job that he had, but having said that we wish him all the best of luck with his new post with Justin down at Horsham.  He wants to be involved with the first team so I don’t blame him for that.”

Ward, however, insists his players will stay at Southwood Stadium as Horsham cannot afford to entice his players to Gorings Mead.

Ward said: “It’s a long way away from here.  Most of my players are local players here.  You don’t get many player go from Ramsgate to Horsham.  I wouldn’t imagine Horsham have got the money to give them £300-£400 pounds a week.

“No doubt he’ll be tempted and Justin Luchford knows as much about this area of Kent as any other manager, but I don’t see that happening.”

Ward has unveiled Bradley Bough, 21, as his first summer signing, and the right-back has signed a  two-year contract.
Bough finished last season playing for Thanet Leisureforce in the Thanet Sunday Football League – but played Conference North football for Redditch United.

Ward said: “At the moment we’ve signed one, we’ve signed Bradley Bough, a right-back or centre half.  It was a position that we were scratching a bit for a right-back last year.

“He’s strong, very aggressive and attack minded, so he fits the bill.

“He’s from Thanet but he moved up to Coventry and he played in that area but he’s back again now.  He played in the Conference North up there for Redditch a couple of years ago, he played 15 games.  He’s come back for good and he’s signed a two-year deal.”

Ward added: “It’s a very difficult one.  You’re always looking to strengthen but the way we finished after Christmas, we would have been up there, especially in the play-offs, so I don’t feel we need to get too many players in the way with the people that are already here.

“We could do with a bit of threat in front of goal but every manager says that.  I’m looking for a wide-man or a forward and a midfield player but they don’t grow on trees.  I’m very cautious about who we sign.  Pre-season starts two weeks Saturday, we’ll see what we’ve got, but we’ve got six weeks after that before the season starts.

“We’re in no rush to do anything.  We’ve got a few people invited to pre-season like we do every year, but my group of under 16’s and under 18’s are very good, so I’m tempted to go with a lot of them.”

Ward explained why many managers are waiting as late as possible to add to their squads, instead of doing their summer shopping as early as possible.

“I think the biggest thing is there isn’t a lot of money about, is there?  You can’t go to a club and say you can give them such and such to join me but no-one’s got such and such,” said Ward.

“There is a few clubs that have got a few bob and that’s been evident when they’ve snapped up the players who are available.

“But do you want the players who want to move because of money?  If that’s the only reason they want to come to your club do you really want them?  That’s my reason why it’s been so quiet.”

Ward is delighted that the youth section at the club is blossoming.

“We had a meeting last night at the football ground and we had the managers and coaches from the first team down to the youth teams.  We had to have a big hall and every table in the big hall was full of managers and coaches.  Our youth section is so well run that is why we’re not in the market to go and spend loads of dosh on players.”

Ramsgate kick-off their nine-game pre-season campaign with a home game against League Two side Gillingham on Wednesday 13 July (7:30pm).

It’s refreshing that Gills boss Andy Hessenthaler is taking his side to play numerous Kent non-league sides this summer.

Visit Ramsgate’s website: www.ramsgate-fc.co.uk