Jackson pledges his future to Folkestone Invicta

Friday 08th May 2009

FOLKESTONE INVICTA boss Neil Cugley is delighted to announce that all of last season's squad have agreed to stay at the Buzzlines Stadium for another season, writes Tom Marchant.

The Seasiders finished a tough end of season set of fixtures in strong style, in particular defeating local rivals Ashford Town and thrashing Walton Casuals 4-0 on the final day of the season and it was the gaffer’s top priority to agree deals with the current players to retain them for next season.

Cugley, speaking to www.folkestoneinvicta.co.uk remarked, “I spoke to all the players individually and I am pleased to say that all of them are happy to stay and it has given us the backbone of ten or eleven players that we need.

“I think that the young players in particular have shown they can hold their own at this level and the challenge for them now is to perform consistently. We want them all to come back pre season in the right frame of mind, ready to work hard and improve. If they do improve, people like Burchy, Dicko and JV then I will be very pleased.”

Goalkeeper Jack Delo was signed on an 18 month deal midway through last season and Jimmy Dryden – who netted 23 goals last season – signed a two year contract with the Club last summer and has committed himself to the cause for next season.

Canterbury based Delo travels down to the Buzzlines Stadium with Frankie Chappell, who is studying at University in the city. Delo has impressed in goal since joining from Ramsgate whilst Chappell’s footballing talent is well known at Cheriton Road and the manager was justifiably pleased to have secured his services for next season.

“One thing nearly every player I spoke to asked ‘is Jacko (Jimmy Jackson) staying?’ which shows how highly he is thought of amongst the squad and what a player he is. I’m delighted he is happy to stay and it wasn’t a case of him ever going to another club, I think it was whether he retired or not.

“I think if we use him in the right way like we did with Mark Saunders – by not playing him every game – that will help him. If we can get the numbers up a little bit so we’re able to rest him at various times then I’m sure you’ll see an even better player as I think there’s definitely another year in him.”

“As things get sorted out off the field, I hope we can strengthen, especially up the field because we haven’t scored enough goals this season.”

Cugley is currently speaking to four players and his priority is to sign a couple of forwards, an attacking midfielder and a defender.

“Three of the four are locally based and one lives not too far away which is what we want so we can have them in training twice a week. I can’t reveal names but I’d say they are experienced players but fairly young – they are all players who I think would improve our squad.

“We want players of the right age so we can continue to build for the future. With the experience we’ve got in the likes Smithy (Darren Smith) and Jacko, they’re good lads and decent people to have about the Club. I would also put Jimmy Dryden and Micheal Everitt into that category as players who the younger ones can learn a lot off; they show the right attitude, they talk to the younger players in the right way and they handle themselves properly too.

LEGEND: Jimmy Jackson , seen here scoring in an eight-goal thrilling FA Cup tie at Sevenoaks Town, has put retirement out of his mind to stay at Folkestone Invicta next season.
Photograph courtesy of www.folkestoneinvicta.co.uk

“That would give us 14 players and then a couple of young lads would give us the 15 or 16 that you need to compete. It’s an important time of year for a manager and a lot of it is spent on the phone chasing around.

“Ideally we’d get the playing side sorted out sooner rather than later, and we want to avoid the problems we had last year of having a big press conference announcing new signings then having to release all the players 10 or 12 weeks later! We don’t want to go down that avenue this year and if players are leaving, it should be because they aren’t up to the standard we want not because we can’t afford them.”

Various deliveries of topsoil and grass seed have already been made to the Buzzlines Stadium in order to prepare the playing surface for the 2009/2010 campaign. Groundsman Gary Towse did a superb job with the pitch last season with the surface looking almost as good on the final day of the season as it did on the first.

“We’ve got 10 weeks before we play on the pitch again and Towsey has been over there every day and it’s going to look absolutely superb. There was a lot of grass on it anyway as it has been very well looked after all year and I think we’ll reap the rewards of his efforts.”

Pre season friendlies are in the process of being organised, with the club set to announce a definitive list of games towards the end of this month.

“We want a proper mixture of pre season games and I think being a younger side I would like to play a few more of the ‘lesser’ sides as it were, to try and get the confidence up earlier," explained Cugley.

"In the past we’ve played teams above us in league status and if you lose a few of them it doesn’t matter so much with an experienced side but with a younger one I think it’s important to try and get a couple of results to get the confidence up.”

Confirmation of the make up of Ryman Division One won’t come for a few weeks yet but with Ramsgate being relegated from the Ryman Premier and only Cray Wanderers sealing promotion from Ryman One last season, the league should boast a strong Kent contingent.

It remains to be seen whether Chatham Town will move across to Ryman One South from Division One North and it is understood the possibility has been mooted that Thamesmead Town may also swap over to Invicta’s league.

“There will be more Kent sides in it next season and it always makes things a bit more exciting and it should help raise a bit extra through the gate," said Cugley.

"Personally as a manager it makes life a bit easier as you don’t have to go as far to watch games and you can watch the opposition more.

“To be honest though whoever comes into our league I’m not a great worrier about other sides and I think especially after this last season you worry about your own club; you get that in order and make sure the players and everyone around you is happy and everything else should fall into place."

Article courtesy of www.folkestoneinvicta.co.uk