24thmar05

Ford still has the hunger to succeed

VCD ATHLETIC boss Martin Ford has admitted he still has the hunger and the desire to succeed now as he did when he first took over the club in 1993, writes Stephen McCartney.

With the Vickers sitting in fifth place in the Go Travel Kent League, Ford said: "I could have left the club on numerous occasions to go and manage at a higher standard of football to test myself.

"But I had great belief in the committee and the people behind the club that's going to get us back home.

"I can't wait for the season after next when I can drive into the car park down our ground with 200 people around the rails and get back in producing a side that will be worthy of the facilities that we will have."

Ford has stuck by the club, which has played away from their Oakwood ground in Crayford, playing their home matches at Thamesmead Town and currently at Lordswood.

And despite cuts to the playing side's budget earlier in the season, Ford and his players are staying put.

"We just need to consolidate next year.  We are definitely not going to have a budget for next year.  We need to consolidate for a season, save our money if you like," revealed Ford.

"We haven't paid them this year.  I'm being totally honest with you, we've only had four players picking up any money this year from the start of the season up until the beginning of November.

"The chairman promised us an x-amount of money to get us through the season.  However, the money didn't materalise so I had to talk to the lads and tell them that none of us were getting paid now apart from Marc Brown - the goalkeeper - whose on contract so he has to be paid and John Main - who was on contract and now in Australia so we don't have to worry about his wage bill.

"The lads have been first class and I can't ask anymore of them.  They play for the club because they want to play for the club and I think that's important."

Ford, however, admits his side have under achieved this season and their home form, where they have lost seven league games at North Dane Way, has let them down.  However, Ford is setting his sights on a top three finish behind Ramsgate and Herne Bay.

"I just feel this year we've under achieved with the players that we've had, " he said.

"I've said it since we went out of the cup semi-final.  We need to try and get a little run together.  We haven't been consistent enough this year, that's why we haven't been in the top two.  We've turned in some good performances and we've turned in some shocking performances.  Our home form has been a disgrace - 7 defeats at home is not good enough."

Ford admitted his side will be playing next season at Lordswood but is happy with the progress being made at their Oakwood ground.

"It's all kicking through," he said.  "There's no problem, everything's going smoothly.  The works all in place, the paperwork's all going in.

"We just have to be patient and when it happens it happens.  We are just waiting for the money to come through from the Football Foundation.  

"We are hopeful the diggers will come in August, that's the timescale we've been given.  The pitch will probably take five to six months to bed down.

"We are going to be at Lordswood next season and we should be at home the following season without a doubt."

Ford is grateful to the Medway outfit for their help over the last two seasons but improvements to their pitch is high on the agenda for Ford.

He added: "We are asking them to put some grass on the pitch for next season, but to be quite honest with you it's a catch 22 situation.

"They are doing us a great favour at the end of the day.  They are keeping us in the Kent League.  

"If Lordswood were to pull the plug tomorrow then we wouldn't have a ground to play on.  So we have to be sensible.  We have asked them to do things for the money we are paying them for.  We feel the money we are paying is a lot of money for what we are getting."

Vickers goalkeeper Marc Brown, who only played the first half of their 3-2 win at Beckenham Town in midweek, keeping a clean sheet, will be rested for their game with landlords Lordswood but should be back in between the sticks for Monday's trip to leaders Ramsgate.

Ford revealed: "Marc has got a thigh strain he picked up last Saturday.  He's not available to play Saturday to play against Lordswood anyway so we will rest him and get him ready for Monday at Ramsgate.

"We need to get through Lordswood - we've got a lot of walking wounded at the moment but we'll try and patch a few of them up and get them ready for Saturday.

"We have a couple of players back, Chris Whitehouse is available and Clayton Probetts is back after missing the Beckenham game through work commitments.

"We should be okay, we'll beat Lordswood then hopefully we'll go up to Ramsgate and give a good account of ourselves on Monday."

FOLLOW THE VICKERS THIS EASTER:


VCD Athletic v Lordswood
Go Travel Kent League Premier Division
Saturday 26th March 2005
Kick Off 12:00 noon
at Lordswood FC, North Dane Way, Walderslade,

Monday 28th March
Go Travel Kent League Premier Division
Easter Monday, 28th March 2005
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Southwood Stadium, Prices Avenue, Ramsgate