Ford: We'll give it our best shot for the whole of Kent

Wednesday 25th January 2006

Kentish Observer League club VCD Athletic have certainly clocked up plenty of miles during this season, but they are relishing their longest trip on 11^th February, writes Stephen McCartney.

That is the date for their long trip to Birkenhead to tackle North West Counties League side Cammell Laird for a place in the quarter-finals of the FA Vase at stake.

Long serving manager Martin Ford bemoaned his previous record in this competition. In fact his club has never got this far and they’ve done it the hard way – winning four of their fives ties away from home.

His side have won at Oakwood (4-1), Cove (2-0), Colliers Wood (3-2) and Arundel (2-1) before Broxbourne Borough were beaten 1-0 at Harrow Meadow.

Their highest crowd of the season (387) saw Vickers get through against a side that knocked out Maidstone United in the previous round, albeit thanks to a penalty shoot out in the replay.

Tommy Sampson’s Deal Town side of 2000 are the only Kent side to have won the FA Vase when they defeated Chippenham Town 1-0 underneath the Twin Towers at Wembley Stadium. Can VCD Athletic emulate them?

”Of course we can,” he said. “If you can get the right draws.

”We’ve been doing our homework over the last couple of days. Myself, the chairman and a couple of the committee are flying up there next Tuesday to watch them and coming back on Wednesday.

”So we’ll take it as professionally as we can possibly do. The distance is a long way, yes we know that but we’re going to do everything we can possibly do for the players.

”They’ve got the most luxury that we can afford. We’re going up on the Friday and we’re going to stay there until the Sunday. The supporters will come up on Saturday and staying there until Sunday so we’re trying to make it a good occasion.

”It’s another game of football that we’re desperate to win so we’re going to go up there and give it our best shot – not just for the club but the whole of Kent.”

The club are returning to their spiritual home at Oakwood in Crayford next season, and are currently in the process of raising funds to aid their homecoming.

”This is our fifth draw away from home out of six games. We don’t mind the trips, we travel well,” Ford added. “I spoke to Everton Football Club, who we’ve got good contacts up there, and they say the pitch up there is fantastic and it’s a nice stadium so we’re looking forward to it.

”This is what the club has worked hard to achieve. We play every year on a really tight budget, we’ve been playing away from home for the last eight years so anything is a bonus at the moment.

”To have a club of our stature, a club of our size in the last sixteen of the FA Vase is fantastic.”

Martin Ford is VCD Athletic Football Club through and through. He has, however, been tempted away from the club on several occasions – the last occasion not so long ago.

”We’ve got to get the club into perspective,” he said. “I run my own business. The club is very much in my blood. My sons plays for some of the sides.

”It will be a big wrench for me to leave. Don’t get me wrong I’ve had some fantastic offers over the last three or four seasons, even one a couple of months ago, which bites away at me.

”In another circumstance and we wasn’t returning home to VCD next year that’s a job I would have liked to have took.

”But I don’t get too much interference from board level. We haven’t had a chairman for a couple of years but we’ve got a new chairman now – a smashing fella that I think I can work alongside and the ambition of the club matches mine.”

Ford, however, admits he the club will attract big gates when they return to the town, having lead a nomadic existence playing at Thamesmead Town, Lordswood and Greenwich Borough.

”When we play at home in certain cup competitions we will attract big crowds,” he insisted. We’re looking next year a minimum of 250 people at home so maybe them sort of people will say why Martin Ford has stayed over the years?

”If they can come down next year to see some of the facilities that we will have, in front of the crowds we will attract then I think we’ll be ok and that’s the reason why I want to stick it out and see what happens for next season.”

Thamesmead Town v VCD Athletic
Kentish Observer League
Saturday 28^th January 2006
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Bayliss Avenue, Thamesmead