I think we're ahead of schedule, admits VCD Athletic boss Tony Russell

VCD ATHLETIC manager Tony Russell says he enjoys watching his team play.


The Crayford-based club are five points clear of Thurrock at the top of the Ryman League Division One North table after their comfortable 2-0 home win over Waltham Abbey yesterday.

Sherwin Stanley scored his 12^th goal of the season – taking his tally to 32 goals in 43 career games since his arrival 12 months ago – and the second goal was scored by Uche Ibemere, who has played for Dartford, Cray Wanderers and Thamesmead Town this season.

The Vickers welcome Thurrock to Oakwood on New Year’s Day sitting on 52 points from 22 games and have a couple of games in hand on their Essex opponents.

The Fleet – who were held to a 1-1 draw at Harlow Town yesterday – are managed by former Gillingham boss Mark Stimson.

“They’re a good side,” said Russell.  “Stimmo is an ex-League One manager. We’ve played them twice already this year. We played them over their place, winning 2-0 and it was called off and we went back two weeks later and beat them 6-2.

“They’re a good side, well organised, got good players but the league table don’t like – we’re better!”

Russell says he likes to stand and admire his side when they grace the field.

“Listen, I always say the reason why I want them to play football like that is because I want to stand on the line and enjoy it and I do - I thoroughly enjoy it,” said Russell.

“This team will play exactly how you want them to play whether it’s long ball or passing the ball, so whatever is in your head with football, tell your players to do it and you can sit there and watch what’s going around your head on a football pitch.”

It’s just a shame that the club is failing to attract people through the turnstiles.

The match against Waltham Abbey attracted a crowd of 96 – which was the club’s fourth highest crowd of the season – despite Dartford’s Conference Premier fixture against Woking falling victim to a waterlogged pitch at Princes Park.

Russell said: “We can’t do no more, winning games of football and playing good football.

“We’re the top goalscorers in the league, we can’t really do much more.

“Whether the club can do more with publicity, I think it’s hard.

“We’ve got Phoenix just over the back, there’s loads of teams around here so we’re never going to pull in a thousand people.

“There is the limitation what we can do with this football club.  I was at Erith Town with Razor (Ray Powell). We felt we took them to a ceiling how far we could take them and I think we’ve got to try to do that here.”

VCD Athletic were playing Kent League football last season and were promoted as runners-up to double winners Erith & Belvedere.

The Deres are in the bottom three of the Ryman League Division One North and have lost their last nine games.

“I think we’re ahead of schedule,” admitted Russell, who revealed he is working on the same budget as he did last season.

“I said to you at the beginning of the season - and I meant it - that I wanted to establish this club as a good Ryman League club and we’ve done that now.

“There’s no pressure from our end. The chairman just wanted me to establish us  - when he said that I thought he meant just keep them up and I’ve done that.

“I’m working on the same budget as every other VCD manager before me – no more, no less so as a club are we over-achieving? I think so!”

Visit VCD Athletic’s website: www.pitchero.com/clubs/vcdathleticfc

VCD Athletic  v  Thurrock
Ryman League Division One North
Wednesday 1^st January 2014
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Oakwood, Old Road, Crayford, Kent DA1 4DN