Ford criticises KCFA for his Cup Final ban

VCD Athletic boss Martin Ford criticised the county’s top brass after banning him from the technical area for Saturday’s Kentish Observer League Cup Final, writes Stephen McCartney.

Ford, who takes charge of his 14^th season at the club in August, was forced to watch his side lose convincingly 4-0 to Maidstone United behind the barrier after being handed a one-week ban.

“I’ve received a touchline ban going back about eight weeks ago for one week,” he explained after the game at the Buzzlines Stadium in Folkestone.

“I appealed against it and they gave me the ban and I went to the FA and appealed against it.

“But Keith Masters (the chief executive of the Kent County Football Association) said I’d be wasting my time going up to the FA due to the expense.

“He said it’ll probably cost the club over a thousand pounds because the FA people will come down from wherever.

“And to be honest it’s astonishing that six weeks ago they couldn’t give me the ban a week before the cup final, or the week after but the KCFA have dragged their feet on it.

“To be quite honest with you, I’ve lost a little bit of respect for them today because if deprived me of leading my side out in an important cup final.

“The result may not have been different but I’d like to been in the dug-out today pushing the lads on. Not being big-headed, I think they needed me.”

However, Ford whose taken his side into the top six in the league, the last sixteen of the FA Vase and clinched the Kent Senior Trophy by beating Tunbridge Wells on penalties earlier in the month, felt his side should have done better against the double winners.

“We’ve had a fantastic season,” he admitted. “The lads are disappointed but I’ve said they’ve got to get their heads up. We’ve been beaten fair and square today by a better side and you’ve got to take that on the day.

“We wasn’t in the game from the time they scored their first goal (after 30 minutes) to the last minute.

“A little brave effort from the lads but we looked tired. We were a jaded side today. We’ve played 53 games this season and I think I caught up the last month or so.”

Vickers will return to their Oakwood ground in Crayford in August, following £150,000 of ground improvements and Ford is already planning for the new season.

“Anyone that’s visited the Oakwood over the last month will be impressed with the facilities being built there at the moment,” said the proud manager.

“The club can only go forward. I’m having phone calls already from players, which we’ll take on board. We need three or four good standard players.”

Ford revealed all of his present squad will be invited for pre-season training and he added: “We need to strengthen in certain areas of the field. We may need a bigger squad because we got found out towards the end of the season but we’ve got so much to look forward to.

“The season we’ve had was so unexpected,” he admitted. “We’ve got no money at VCD so to get to two cup finals, the last sixteen of the FA Vase and to be a top six side once again - we’ve been a top six side for the past eight years - speaks good for the club.

“The club can only push on from here. I think you’re going to see a very good VCD side in the next few years,” he warned.

Congratulating double winners Maidstone United, who romped to victory courtesy of goals from Mario Celiare, Lynden Rowland and a brace from Mo Takaloo - taking his tally for the season to 44 - Ford hopes his side will be adding to their trophy cabinet next season.

“That might be us lifting both cups out there, the champions cup and the League Cup or whatever we can pick up, because make no mistake VCD will be a strong side next year.”