Former Dover boss Walker unveiled as new Ashford Town manager

Ashford Town have today unveiled that former Chatham Town and Dover Athletic boss Clive Walker has been appointed as their new manager - and will be taking up his responsibilities immediately, writes Stephen McCartney.

www.kentishfootball.co.uk revealed EXCLUSIVELY yesterday that John Cumberbatch parted company with the Homelands outfit eleven days earlier, but chairman Mr Mark Jenner today appointed the highly-rated Walker.

Walker is a vastly-experienced manager and has been in the game for more than 45 years.

He played in the top flight for his home-town club Leicester City in the mid-1960s, and was in a Foxes team which included Gordon Banks, and came up against the likes of George Best, Bobby Charlton, Geoff Hurst, Martin Peters and many more of the top names of that time.

Walker left Leicester to join Northampton Town and after a difficult spell there went on to enjoy a successful time at Mansfield Town.

His career, however, finished in non-league, where he played for Chelmsford City and Gravesend & Northfleet.

Walker managed Northampton Town in two spells, in the old Fourth Division, and Maidstone United.

He was number two at Kettering Town and Dagenham before joining Dover Athletic as Bill Williams’ assistant in 1997 and was eventually appointed manager in 2002 but got sacked by their former board in 2003.

However, when Jim Parmenter took over the club in January 2005 and immediately re-instated Walker as manager after he had a spell in charge at Chatham Town.

The move sparks the club’s intent to raise their Sleeping Giant status, with promotion their target for next season.

“Clive is one of the most experienced managers in non-league football and was most recently at Dover for the last two years where he achieved the play-off positions in both seasons,” said Mr Jenner in his statement on www.ashfordtownfc.co.uk.  

“The Board believes they have chosen the right man to mount a real challenge for promotion next season, backed up by substantial investment in ground improvements and refurbishment at the Homelands and a realistic playing budget.

“A number of new players will be joining the club for the start of the new season to strengthen the squad that finished the last campaign with a very strong run of form.”

Mr Jenner thanked Cumberbatch for his loyalty during his two and a half years at the club.

He said: “I was sorry to lose John Cumberbatch who had been very loyal to the club and had tried his best to achieve success in what had been difficult circumstances, but the Board had felt that a change was necessary if promotion was to be achieved in the short term.”

Meanwhile, Ashford Town have cause for a double celebration today, as they’ve scooped the Programme of the Year Award for the Ryman League Division One South.

The first ever programme award by the Ryman League has been introduced this season and is sponsored by Redeye Sports Management in association with the Professional Footballers Association.

All Ryman League clubs were asked to submit programmes and these were considered by the judges last week.

The decisions were made on the basis of appearance, content and value for money.

Under the terms of the sponsorship only the winners in each division receive an award, which is an item of gym equipment, but the judges were impressed with the quality of the programmes and decided to determine the top three in each division rather than just the winner.

Tonbridge Angels finished in third place in the Ryman Premier League, behind Chelmsford City and Horsham.

And Ryman League Division One South champions Maidstone United were in third place - behind Elaine Orsbourne’s Nuts & Bolts’ publication and the one from Kingstonian.

The Division One North awards went to Enfield Town, Canvey Island and AFC Sudbury.

Visit Ashford Town’s website:  www.ashfordtownfc.co.uk