Invicta chairman has a club to be proud off

For many Folkestone Invicta fans the football season is well and truly over; the Fans Forum has had few (if any) postings, visits to the Buzzlines Stadium every Saturday afternoon are no more for approximately another eight weeks and it may appear from the outside that little is taking place at the club, writes Tom Marchant - www.folkestoneinvicta.co.uk

However, once inside it is obvious that there certainly is a lot of work taking place in preparation for the 2006/2007 football season – much undertaken by a band of volunteers coordinated by Phil Orris.

There is though someone else who is as dedicated as ever and who is at the club almost on a daily basis working hard and organising things in preparation for the start of the new season.

Chairman Bob Dix, someone who is rarely mentioned and who does not receive the amount of credit he deserves for what he does for the Ryman Premier League club.

At a time in the football world when stability at numerous clubs is often unheard of with the constant ‘chop and change’ of managers and chairmen alike, it is a real credit to Mr Dix who has now been at Invicta for 16 years.

When Mr Dix first became involved with the club it was at the time when Folkestone Invicta had taken the mantle of the Town’s senior club after the collapse of Folkestone Town.

Following a season at Cheriton Road playing in the Kent Amateur League, the club applied for ‘Senior Status’ but for some reason we were denied it and so had to compete in what was then the Winstonlead Kent League Division Two against the Reserve sides of other Southern/Kent League clubs.

At this time the chairman was Tommy Guiver and Mr Dix was a director along with Gary Staniforth (who was also Manager).

After one season in this Division, Invicta broke the Kent League scoring records after a 13-0 demolition of Faversham Town in the final game of the season to complete a League and Cup double.

‘The Seasiders’ again applied for ‘Senior Status’ and were granted acceptance into the Winstonlead Kent League Division One.

When Tom and Gary left it was Mr Dix who stayed on and become chairman, a position he has held until the present day.

When the previous incumbent left as manager of Folkestone Invicta in 1996 it was Bob who appointed Neil Cugley, who had previously been in charge at Ashford Town.

Cugley’s record in his ten years at Cheriton Road is impressive and in his first season he took the club into the Southern League when Invicta finished runners up.

Cugley has only ever experienced relegation once in a decade at Cheriton Road and his success, which has often been on a tight budget, has cemented his status as one of the best and most respected managers in Kent Non-league football – the 2006/2007 will be his tenth season as manager at the Buzzlines Stadium.

Cugley and Mr Dix talk most days and enjoy an excellent relationship on and off the field which is something that has certainly played a key role in taking Folkestone to their highest level of football in the Non-League pyramid – the Ryman League Premier Division.

A solid platform has been built and which with a little more outside investment could see the club push on further towards Conference football.

Mr Dix himself is indeed very much a ‘hands on’ chairman dealing with the diverse activities involved in the running of the club, which are too numerous to mention here and he was also responsible for bringing Andy Ingleston to the club some 6 years ago.

Mr Ingleston’s financial knowledge and expertise has ultimately transformed the club’s financial footing, where Invicta continue to make progress off the field.

It should be remembered that when he came to Invicta the club were in a difficult position financially.

The financial prudence exerted by him and the chairman, which has at times been questioned by a number of fans with a debate centred around ‘ambition’, have ensured that the club have not ‘broken the bank’ with excessive spending on players and this sensibility is certainly beginning to see fruition.

Mr Dix has since been able to illustrate his ambitions and designs for the future of the club by providing Cugley with the necessary backing to bring in a number of quality additions to both the playing squad and the backroom staff during this season.

The financial diligence which has been displayed by Mr Dix and Mr Ingleston has ensured the club has not followed the route into spiralling debt which many clubs (League and Non-League) have witnessed over the last decade – a feat of which all Folkestone supporters are certainly very grateful for.

As many of us reading this are Folkestone Invicta supporters, we should all appreciate the immense amount of hard work that Mr Dix has done for our club over the last 16 years.

On the field he has brought in a manager who is regarded by all Kent Non-League football followers as amongst one of the very best in the County, and off the field he has brought in a man who has guided the club to financial stability, ultimately securing a firm foundation to build upon in the future.

Such dedication should never go unnoticed as Folkestone fans can justifiably say we have a club to be truly proud of.