Lovell shakes up reserve side - EXCLUSIVE

Sittingbourne manager Steve Lovell has revealed he will be making improvements at the club during the summer – especially the way their reserve team is run, writes Stephen McCartney.

There has been much discussion on the Brickies’ fans’ forum about a “them and us” situation at the Bourne Park club but the Welshman insists he only wants players playing in the second string that are good enough to progress into his first team squad.

”This is what I’m annoyed with,” blasted Lovell.  “It’s always been a case since I’ve been at the club as a them and us.”

”It’s not from me.  The reserve team are there to service the first team and no other reason in my mind.

”If players are not good enough in the reserves to play in the first team then they shouldn’t be playing in the reserves.

”Because at the end of the day the first team is what counts at the football club and contrary to what some people think that’s how I see it.

“The reserve team turn up to play reserve team football, hopefully the players want to get into my first team and hopefully they’ll try their hardest to get into my first team.  That’s the way it works.

“So I think next year work has got to be done to make sure the boys that are playing in my reserve side have got a good chance of getting into the first team.  If not they should not be playing in the reserve side.”

Lovell revealed the two sides don’t train together, but he had the same problems at his previous club, Hastings United.

“When I was at Hastings it was exactly the same as Sittingbourne – there was an us and them.

“I think this year the football at Sittingbourne with the reserves and the first team has been the same situation as it was at Hastings and we have to get away with that.

”Next year I’m going to run everything the way I want it to be run and the reserves will be run the way I want it to be run.  Not the way some people think it should be run.

“What I’m interested in is the personal development of players at the football club, whether its under 14s, 15s, 16s.

“You have to have the ability and the talent to push forward.  What we need to do is find that local talent at a young age.

”But I would rather have good 17-18-19-year-old’s in my reserves pushing for a first team place than someone that is just there to play football on a Saturday.

”I want eleven people playing in the reserves all pushing for a place in the first team.
“I’m not bothered where Sittingbourne’s reserves are in the league.  It makes no difference to me.  It’s what we’ve got coming through not where we are in the league.”

Back to first team affairs, Lovell faces a goalkeeping selection headache ahead of their games against Arlesey Town on Saturday and Easter Monday’s trip to local-rivals Chatham Town.

Although Lee Friend is ruled out with a groin injury, Lovell will decide between Rob Hudson and Steve Williams to see which one will play, although both are nursing bruised shoulders.
Having trained last night, Lovell revealed: “I think Rob trained allright but I think both should be allright for Saturday.

”I’ll wait until Saturday to see who is the better one.  We’ve got a game on Saturday and Monday and we don’t want anyone to play on Saturday if it’s going to cause them a problem.”

Although fifth from bottom in the Southern League Division One East table, Sittingbourne entertain Arlesey Town on Saturday – a side that are one place above the drop zone and just three points behind the Kent side.

But Lovell feels Berkhamsted Town (32 points) and Ilford (36) are already facing the drop and his side (42) have done enough to maintain their Southern League status.

He did, however, explain the reasons why his side are at the wrong end of the table – inconsistency.

“They’ve been times when we’ve played really well and times we’ve given games away,” admitted Lovell.

“I think we have to be a lot more consistent in our approach.  We are definitely good enough but we haven’t performed on a level throughout the season.

”I think we’ve had a lot of injuries to key players that haven’t helped our small squad but if we could have played more consistently as a unit - there’s not a lot of difference between the top six and the bottom six in points.

”If we changed three or four of our draws into wins then we would have been in the play-off’s.”
There are only 14 points separating his side from sixth-placed side Waltham Forest.
Lovell revealed he might be giving some of his fringe players a chance to shine in their remaining four league games but did admit his players find playing in sparse stadiums is uninspiring.

”As a player and a manager you want to play in front of as many people as possible,” he said.

”This year we’ve been to grounds where there’s been less than 50 people and that doesn’t inspire anything to be honest when you play in front of 50 in a big ground.”

And if/when the Football Association move Sittingbourne, Chatham Town and Dartford into the Ryman League this will benefit everyone involved in Kent football.

”The local derbies will produce a bigger crowd, better atmospheres and better enjoyment for the players,” said Lovell.

”I think what it does do it makes more sensible football.  When you are playing local teams, the supporters don’t like to travel too far to watch games and you would get more away support if its a local derby.

Lovell takes his side to Maidstone Road on Easter Monday to play local rivals Chatham Town, looking to remain unbeaten against Steve Binks’ side this term.

”We’ve played them twice this year and beaten them twice,” Lovell said. 

“They’re always close encounters, a good crowd and atmosphere.  That’s why we need local derbies.”

Meanwhile, Lee Browning (knee), Lee Friend (groin) are ruled-out during the Easter programme and Joe Dowley’s season is over as he’s suspended for their remaining games.

Sittingbourne v Arlesey Town
Southern League Division One East
Saturday 15^th April 2006
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Bourne Park, Central Park, Eurolink, Sittingbourne