We will only spend what we can afford to spend and no more, insists Margate director of football Steve Brown

MARGATE have appointed two new board members with Chris Chambers and Steve Brown joining the boardroom at Hartsdown Park.

Chambers will play an integral part of the redevelopment at Hartsdown Park.  The former chairman of Margate Youth will work closely with the new owners and help strengthen the board.

The relegated Isthmian Premier League club have also confirmed that assistant manager Brown has been appointed director of football with a view to bringing a closer link between football matters and the boardroom.  The former Charlton Athletic defender will continue his role of assistant manager to boss Steven Watt on match days.

Brown told www.margate-fc.co.uk; “I’m absolutely honoured and humbled to have been invited onto the board of directors and it’s with great pleasure that I’ve accepted the role of director of football.

“After lengthy discussions with the new owner, the board and Steve Watt is was decided that I will continue as Steve’s assistant and help with all football related matters regarding Margate FC at board level.

“The new owner is very keen to make huge strides within the local community and his vision is to develop Hartsdown into a modern multipurpose stadium.

“The stadium development will obviously take time and the process will be slow and calculated but this immediate plan as you are aware is to change the current grass pitch into a state of the art 3G pitch.

“The reasoning behind this is that the owner would like the football club to build up and generate enough of an income stream to be able to be self-sufficient, changing the playing surface to a 3G will help us be able to achieve this and benefit the club and community in many ways.

“The plans to develop Hartsdown have been in place for many years and nothing has ever materialised, however, recent discussions with the council have been positive and I for one is very excited about what lies ahead for Margate Football Club.  The owner has shown he is committed and is clear and concise about what he wants to achieve moving forward.

“One of our visions is to see as many football teams, kids and adults sharing our wonderful facility and to make Margate FC a hub for the community to socialise at.  Whether that be a coffee and a cake whilst your son is training, cheering on the team with a burger and a pint, learning in the new class rooms, playing a match on the first team pitch or enjoying a wedding reception or a birthday party in the function room, our aim is to make the ground more than just a football club where people can come and enjoy themselves.

“Of course, we all recognise that we have to build a competitive team and it would be fantastic if we were challenging for promotion at the end of the season.  However, after speaking as a board we unanimously agreed that we will not put this club in the position it has just recovered from, where liquidation was a distinct possibility.

“Our aims and goals are very much centred on a sustainable long-term future for Margate FC, which cannot be reliant or jeopardised by one individual’s money bank rolling the wage structure.
 
“The owners and boards job is to give the manager time and support to construct a winning team, to do this we have to create a budget through various channels that we can sustain.

“A budget has been set for this season and despite what other managers would have the public believe, we will not pay players over the odds, and we won't be as spend thrifty on wages as we have been in the recent past, the message is simple and we will only spend what we can afford to spend and no more.
 
“One thing we will not do is criticise other clubs and their budgets and be resentful when another club wins the race for a signature, all is fair in love and war as they say!

“We've lost out on several players already this summer and when you do you simply move on to the next possible target, we aren't interested in justifying why we have or haven't signed a player.
 
“Many factors determine why a player joins a club and you have to be prepared to lose far more than you sign, it's a difficult process and a players wage isn't the only reason a player signs on the dotted line.
 
“The supporters of any football club are the most important factor and although we appreciate we won't please everybody, you can rest assured we will be working tirelessly behind the scenes to achieve the goals the owner has set for us.
 
“You were all absolutely first class during a very difficult season on and off the pitch last year and we will need you to be as supportive again this year, hopefully you will start to see changes very soon as the new owners visions start to become a reality. The new season can't come quick enough for me.”

DULWICH HAMLET boss Gavin Rose has published his retained list.

Preston Edwards, Marc Weatherstone, Michael Chambers, Ibrahim Kargbo, Ashley Carew, Kenny Beaney, Sanchez Ming, Nathan Green, Dumebi Dumaka, Gavin Tomlin, Jamie Mascoll, Ibra Sekajja, Nyren Clunis and Quade Taylor have put pen to paper for the Isthmian Premier League club.

Rose has made a couple of summer signings so far with Anthony Acheampong and Ricky Hayles coming in from Maidstone United and East Thurrock United respectively.