Cugley: We'll pull through this together

FOLKESTONE INVICTA welcome second from bottom Corinthian-Casuals to the Buzzlines Stadium this weekend following a week which manager Neil Cugley described as the busiest time he has experienced in his managerial career, writes Tom Marchant.

Following last week’s financial revelations, Cugley confirmed to www.folkestoneinvicta.co.uk that NO player has left Invicta yet, with the present playing squad all due to be available this weekend for the visit of the Casuals.

The Invicta boss said: “A lot of them have had offers this week from other clubs but they’ve said to other managers they want to play for us this Saturday which we’re obviously delighted with. It’s not the right time yet for me to say who’s staying and who’s going and things will be clearer after Saturday.

“Since all this has happened we haven’t all been together as a squad and regardless of who stays and who goes, we can put out a strong side on Saturday and I want everyone to perform and get the right result.

“Some players might stay around for a little while anyway to see if they get an offer somewhere else but at this moment in time as I’m sure people will understand, there are still a lot of things up in the air and a lot of meetings to be had.”

Cugley did emphasise the importance of the club’s band of local players as he seeks to fashion a new side around those local players who have established themselves in the first team over recent seasons.

He said: “We’ve got to show our players in the youth sides and the reserve sides that there is an ultimate aim, and we’re still negotiating with our local players to try and keep hold of them which is my main issue at the moment, and we want to continue encouraging more local lads through the system.

“Whatever happens though we have to get on with it and we’ve got three away games after Saturday which in some ways makes things a little bit easier as hopefully by the time we get back to the home games we should be a little bit more settled and hopefully still able to put out a side which can compete at this level.”

This weekend’s visitors haven’t endured the best start to the campaign and lost away to Crowborough Athletic 2-1 midweek, and have so far only recorded victories over Ashford Town
(3-2, home) and Walton Casuals (3-1, away).

Invicta themselves will be looking to return to winning ways in the League having lost to Leatherhead 3-2 earlier this month and drawing 2-2 at home to Croydon Athletic last Tuesday night – Folkestone lost James Everitt and Matt Bourne in the Croydon match to bizarre dismissals, and could feel justifiably aggrieved at not clinching all three points.

With no match last weekend, the Seasiders defeated Kent League outfit Herne Bay 2-1 in a friendly at Cheriton Road last night with a mix of first team players, reserves and trialists.

And Cugley added: “It was a very important friendly and it answered a few questions and a lot of our younger lads – Billy Swallow, Josh Burchell, Simon Rainbow and Josh Vincent – did very well and I was encouraged by their performances.”

Meanwhile, an open meeting will be held in Stripes after the game at 5:30pm, to discuss the current position of the club.

A short presentation will be made by Mark Jenner, who will then answer questions from the floor.

Everybody is encouraged to attend both the match and the meeting to demonstrate support for the future of the Ryman League Division One South club.

Article courtesy of www.folkestoneinvicta.co.uk

Folkestone Invicta v Corinthian-Casuals
Ryman League Division One South
Saturday 25^th October 2008
Kick Off 3:00pm
At Buzzlines Stadium, Cheriton Road, Folkestone, Kent CT19 5JU