Legendary Folkestone Invicta boss Neil Cugley steps down after 26 years' at the helm at Cheriton Road

LEGENDARY Folkestone Invicta manager Neil Cugley has stepped down as manager after 26 years in charge at Cheriton Road.

Chairman Paul Morgan announced his departure on Sunday 16 October and Cugley has dropped a bombshell this afternoon that the longest serving managerial reign in English football has come to a dramatic end after 1,299 games in charge of the Kent club.

“As people may have heard this is to be my final season as manager of Folkestone Invicta Football Club and following discussions on Monday afternoon with Micheal Everitt and Roland Edge I am pleased to say they have agreed to accept the responsibilities of running the first team from this weekend until the end of the season,” Cugley, 65, said in a statement.

“I hope that everyone will support them as they have been loyal employees at our club for a long time and deserve all of our support.

“As we all know the circumstances have changed during the latter couple of weeks and I have been involved with supporting the remaining members of the board in trying to get the investment required to maintain and meet the financial shortfall we now need.

“Due to this I feel that with the meetings and numerous phone calls it is difficult to concentrate on all aspects of the club and being honest this may have reflected on the players and disappointing results.

“Due to the current shortfall I have agreed to forgo any wages for the rest of this season to assist the club’s financial position.”

The club are presently in sixteenth-place in the Isthmian League Premier Division table with 14 points from their 11 games.

The club now has 24 youth teams, which includes five girls teams and an academy of 25 full-time students.

Cugley added: “There are major changes required in the near future to support this growth including accommodation and appropriate football training areas and pitches.

“The club is currently debt free and I personally think it would be great for the club to have a consortium of people putting a realistic amount of money into the club that will also attract future directors to the board.

“I have always had good, loyal and friendly staff, players, directors, chairmen around me and that has made my years at Folkestone Invicta so enjoyable.

“I also thank the supporters past and present, through the good times and bad for their loyal support.  Pauline (my wife) and I will always support this club and all the memories and sometimes heartache it has given us.”

Assistant manager Edge and player-coach Everitt will be in charge of Folkestone Invicta’s home FA Trophy First Round tie against Horsham on Saturday (15:00).

Cugley’s final game in charge of the club was on Monday night when they lost 1-0 at Carshalton Athletic.

Cugley has also managed Ashford Town, Folkestone Town and Hythe Town.

As a player, striker/defender Cugley had three spells at Folkestone Town and also played for Ashford Town, Dartford, Margate, Dover Athletic, Maidstone United and Thanet United.

During the 1982-83 season, he broke Folkestone Town's goalscoring record with 46 goals.

Visit Folkestone Invicta’s website: www.folkestoneinvictafc.co.uk