Everything's in place for us to deliver, says Tunbridge Wells boss Martin Larkin

TUNBRIDGE WELLS manager Martin Larkin says pre-season is about getting his troops fit ahead of their title winning campaign.



The Wells had to settle for a top-seven Kent League finish last season but that was down to crippling fixture congestion on the back of reaching the FA Carlsberg Vase Final and winning the Kent Senior Trophy.

Larkin’s side were defeated 2-1 by Northern League side Spennymoor Town on the hallowed Wembley turf on 4 May.

Tunbridge Wells are tipped favourites to go on and win the renamed Southern Counties East Football League.

“You need to stop calling it the Kent League – it’s not the Kent League anymore,” Larkin said following his side’s 5-1 defeat at their Conference South neighbours Tonbridge Angels yesterday.

Larkin utilised an eighteen-man squad at Longmead Stadium and it looked very similar to the side that finished last season.

“We were very lucky to have retained everyone that we wanted to retain,” said Larkin.

“We let a couple go and we’ve added a couple.  Loads are still to put pen to paper because they’ve been away.

“We’re very confident that we’ve got a very strong side. We’re happy what we’ve done in the summer.  We’ve improved a lot.

“The lads’ got us to Wembley so there’s really no need to change too much. I see it a job to finish so I’m happy.”

Yesterday’s second pre-season friendly was the fourth game that Tunbridge Wells have played since gracing the Wembley turf.

“I suppose it’s still painful to think about and talk about,” admitted a proud Larkin.

“We still think we played, we got back in the game, we equalised and then they scored the second goal so quickly so it’s still painful to think about.

“We’ve drawn a line. We’ve trained. Again at our level where there’s no contracts and you can’t tell them (my players) not to go on holiday and that kind of thing.  We’re a week away having everyone back at the same time and we’ll sit down and draw a line and maybe watch the video and watch Josh (Stanford) score his goal and that’s it thinking about it and carry on.

“To be fair we probably won’t draw a line under it because it was a wonderful achievement but the target this year is obviously the league because that’s what’s important.”

Larkin added: “There’s a strong feeling in our group that had the fixtures not been the way they were last year we would’ve challenged (for the league title).  That was the downfall.  We were playing well at the time. 

“There’s some big teams and we’ll see how much money is being thrown around and that kind of thing and we’ve good to go and that’s what the focus is.”

Larkin was posed the question what would he choose if he could win one title – the league title or another trip to Wembley – this season.

“We didn’t get the credit we deserved last year from a lot of people and the only way we can fix that is to go and win things and that’s what we’re going to do this year,” said Larkin.

“We won a trophy last year and we’ve really put a belief in amongst the group now it’s about delivering that.  Everything’s in place with the committee in terms of what they’re doing behind the scenes. It’s a very exciting place to be.

“You can see why those northern team go back (to Wembley) year after year because those two weeks after I couldn’t think about anything else about wanting to be back in that room. It’s just the environment, the changing rooms, the stadium, the preparation. The weeks before it. We lived like professional footballers for a month. That’s what our lives were. It was amazing and we want to return.

“If we can do that whilst smashing the league on the way through then absolutely great. The priority this year is to win the league.”

Larkin welcomes the arrival of the Southern Counties East Football League.

The name change was to accommodate the likes of Crowborough Athletic and Rye United who were allocated positions in the league at the AGM – but the two Sussex clubs won their appeals to remain in the Sussex County League.

“That’s what it should be called. It’s not a county league.  We travel outside of Kent to play games.  It’s not the Kent League. It had to be done,” said Larkin.

“I’m sure internally it’s going to be called the Kent League but the name change is a good thing in my opinion.”

But Larkin says he feels annoyed with the delay with the Southern Counties East Football League publishing their fixture lists for the new season, which gets underway on 10 August.

The Ryman Football League are supposed to publish their fixtures tomorrow, but this may be delayed due to the much-publicised issues involving Thurrock.

The Southern Counties East Football League must wait for these fixtures to be published because member clubs groundshare Ryman League clubs.

Canterbury City (groundshare Herne Bay), Fisher (Dulwich Hamlet) and Woodstock Sports have opened up a partnership with Sittingbourne.

Other deals include Erith Town playing at league rivals Cray Valley.

Newly-promoted Ashford United have opened up a groundshare deal with Bromley Green; Greenwich Borough will play at Conference Premier Dartford; Rochester United and Fleet Leisure play at the same ground so fixture lists have to take all of that into consideration.

Larkin said: “It annoys me because I want to prepare (for the opening league game).  There’s no one to blame for it. From what I understand they can’t do it until the Ryman fixtures come out, which can’t be done until the Thurrock situation is sorted.  I’d like to know who we’re playing so we can prepare but we can’t do it.”

Tunbridge Wells, who were defeated 2-1 at Ryman Premier League side Maidstone United last Tuesday, continue their pre-season campaign at Bearsted on Tuesday evening.

Larkin admits he is expecting a tough game against Tony Cornwell’s Kent Invicta League side, who finished in fourth-place last season.

“We’ve got the whole Wembley target on us and people want to be the ones to beat the team that went to Wembley,” said Larkin.

“It’s pre-season so again if we go and win 7-0 it doesn’t matter. If we go and lose 7-0 there it doesn’t matter.  They’re pre-season games. 

“The first three or four is about getting minutes in and the last couple that come up are at home and are the ones where we want to start building momentum.

“It’s about minutes in the legs and their fitness at the moment.”

Larkin remained tight-lipped over the new signings that he wants to bring to Culverden Stadium.

“Yes, we’ve got two or three that we’re going to sign,” he said.   “They haven’t signed yet so I’m not telling you who they are!”

Visit Tunbridge Wells’ website: www.tunbridgewellsfc.co.uk  

Bearsted  v  Tunbridge Wells
Pre-Season Friendly
Tuesday 16^th July 2013
Kick Off 6:45pm
At Otham Sports Club, Honey Lane, Otham, Maidstone, Kent ME15 8RG