Kentish Football 
We wouldn't be where we are without chairman Gary Hillman, says Ian Jenkins
Jenkins has only been at three football clubs in his entire career – Leyton Wingate, Collier Row and his beloved Cray Wanderers.
The striker was signed by boss Eddy Davies and became player-manager in 1999.
His total involvement with the Wands as player and manager is approaching 950 games and he has scored 79 goals for the club.
As manager, he has taken the club from bottom of the Kent League to the Ryman Premier League, where they currently sit in a disappointing sixteenth-place, with 29 points from 27 games.
”It’s nice to have that (twenty-year) milestone,” said a proud Jenkins.
”I’ve had some good players come through as well. We’ve been successful in most of those 20 years as well, so it’s been nice.
”Previous to that I have only been at two clubs. I was at Leyton Wingate for about 11 years and I would have been at Collier Row longer than two years if the management didn’t change over there.
“Where ever I tend to go I tend to hang around and make things enjoyable. It’s part of what I’m about. The club is what it’s all about. It’s a lot of fun at our club. The players that I bring in are a bit of me and it’s more enjoyable than anything else really.
Jenkins also paid tribute to his current coaching staff – Joe Francis and Paul Blade.
”Since Joe’s been involved we’ve had fun with that and Blado, in the last five years, has helped tremendously as well.
”In my earlier days of being manager I was still playing and the coaches I brought in wasn’t right for me, so I changed it and the ones that I’ve got with me now are spot on.”
When asked what keeps him motivated, Jenkins said: “I think the players do. When you see the players come training every week and they look like they’re enjoying the coaching sessions and the chairman backs us and is also a good friend of mine.
”Football’s football and I can’t live without it. It’s a massive way of life. I don’t think I’ll change it for anything.”
Cray Wanderers went on a run of nine games without a win since beating Margate on Boxing Day, before claiming a morale boosting 2-0 win at Bognor Regis Town last Saturday.
Like every other manager, Jenkins has been the subject of fans’ speculating about his future on the internet.
”I’m aware of it,” Jenkins said about the forum comments. “I don’t read it myself because I’d probably get the hump with it and react to it.
”I’m surprised people react like they react as they do. There’s been some stuff about changing the hierarchy at the club, including me and Gary, which I think people are very shallow. We wouldn’t be where we are without Gary Hillman and the club would have been disbanded years ago so to knock Gary is a bit harsh.”
Concerns came to light about the club’s future after Jenkins was forced to off-load several players in recent weeks.
Jenkins said: ”They (supporters’) don’t know the reasons. They guess the reasons that the club’s had a bit of a downfall lately and lost a few key players, not through finance, just through reasons behind the scenes.
”They put two and two together and made six and it’s up to them if they want to be like that.
”If they want to talk to me they can come and talk to me anytime. I don’t need to put any statements about what’s gone on. We’re just going through a bad run and turned it around. Whenever we’ve gone through bad runs we turn it around.
”Luckily Gary has faith in me to carry on.”
Jenkins insists his bond with his chairman remains as strong as ever.
He said: “Me and Gary are good friends. There’s not many chairman-manager’s who have a relationship like me and Gary and long may that continue.
”We need to get our own ground, that’s the most important thing. I wish the supporters’ think that’s our main priority. If we can get promoted that’s a bonus but we need to stay in the division we’re in and look to get a new ground in the area where we come from and once that happens we can only go forward.”
Jenkins reassured concerned supporters of the Second Oldest Football Club in the World that chairman Gary Hillman will not throw in the towel.
”The only thing I’m going to say is Gary Hillman won’t give up on his dream and getting Cray a new ground in the area we come from.
”If people are thinking he’s lost interest in it, it’s just people talking out of turn. Gary will continue with it and try and get a ground and that’s good enough for me to hear.
”How long it takes is the issue, but I don’t know how long it’s going to take.
”He ain’t going to give in!”
Jenkins has called for support for Saturday’s home game against Hastings United to help his side climb the Ryman Premier League table.
Hastings may have reached the Third Round of The FA Cup for the very first time in their history this season but they’re league form has suffered and Sean Ray’s side are in the bottom three with 22 points from 25 games.
”We played them not so long ago after them losing to Middlesbrough and it was the only game on in the country I think,” reflected Jenkins.
”We put on a good show. We only had eleven men available, two on the bench were me and Grant Hall so we were under the cosh on the way down there but we played really well on the night and we should have won the game.
”They’re the draw specialists so they’re going to be hard to beat but we had a good win last week and we’re going to follow that up and try to get a win at home.
”You only have to look at the result last week and going to Margate and Hampton winning. We are a team that on our day we can beat anyone in this division and we can get sometimes get results like Kingstonian the other week. It was never a 9-3 game as we played on the day, we were in the game.
”I want to stay in the division whatever happens, I don’t want to go down. At the beginning of the season the aspirations were to get into the play-off’s with the players I had.
”We’ve got some really good youngsters coming through, they’re playing really well, fighting for the club and they look like they’re going to be Cray Wanderers players in the future.
”We just want to stay in this division and go form there.”
One shock was that long-serving stalwart, the versatile Tyrone Sterling, 28, has decided to leave the club to become Chris Kinnear’s first signing at Dover Athletic.
Jenkins said: ”Tyrone’s been with us eight years but it’s fair play to him. He had an opportunity to go higher. He had an opportunity to go to (League Two side) Dagenham & Redbridge and he’s training with them and he’s gone to Dover and he’s done very well.
”I would never hold players’ back and if Tyrone wants to come back to the club the door is open for him all day long.
“He’s been the best centre half in the division by far. Centre half is his main position. He can play anywhere but he’s in the game more at centre half and you want good players to be in the game all the time. When he’s playing wide left he’s not in the game all the time.”
Sterling joins a list of former players that have gone and progressed – Sam Wood, Jon Main, George Porter being others – but the club haven’t picked up any money from them because they were all on non-contract terms at Hayes Lane.
Jenkins said: ”George Porter is playing at Colchester at the moment on loan from Burnley. I spoke to him the other day and he’s doing well. It’s great to see. It’s what it’s all about.
”Once we do get our own ground things might change like that, we’d get players on contract and maybe get a bit of money from them if they do go on.
”That’s football for you. Players’ want to play as high as they can so good luck to them.”
Visit Cray Wanderers’ website: www.pitchero.com/clubs/craywands
Cray Wanderers v Hastings United
Ryman Premier League
Saturday 23rd February 2013
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Hayes Lane, Bromley, Kent BR2 9EF
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