Our gates will be fine in the North, says Foley

Tuesday 09th June 2009

VCD Athletic manager Paul Foley is preparing for the Crayford based club’s inaugural Ryman League Division One North campaign, writes Stephen McCartney.

Since the club formed in 1916, Vickers has finally reached this level of football for the very first time, having been formed in the Great War by workers at the Vickers Armaments Victory in Crayford.

Having been runners up twice since joining the Kent League in 1997, team captain Paul Foley stepped up to take the reigns for the 2007-08 season with Dean Frost becoming assistant manager.

Frost had taken temporary charge of the team following the sudden departure of Martin Ford with eight games remaining of the 2006-07 season.

In their first season the duo reached the last 32 of the FA Vase and finished in second place in the Kent League, but went one better last season by winning the league with a remarkable run of results that saw only one defeat in their last 24 games, despite losing five of their first eight games with a depleted squad gave a distorted look to the league table.

The title was effectively won in the last home game of the season against Deal Town, thanks to a Nick Hegley left-footed strike in a game where Vickers stalwart Kevin Winchcombe, who went on to scoop two player-of-the-year awards, made his 300^th appearance for the club.

This came only three days after the club bagged the Kent Senior Trophy, winning 3-2 in extra time against neighbours Erith & Belvedere, courtesy of goals from Casey Scotter, Richard Sinden and a Kane Rice screamer.

Foley is looking forward to his third season at the helm as he takes charge of the side ahead of their first ever Ryman League campaign.

Vickers, however, have joined neighbouring Thamesmead Town in Ryman One North, thus missing out on lucrative Kent derbies against Ashford Town, Chatham Town, Ramsgate, Sittingbourne and Whitstable Town – who play in the southern section.

“I have always been planning to go into the North to be honest,” Foley told www.vcd-athletic.co.uk.

“The South has a handful of Kent sides in it and it would have been good to go against my old boss Jim (Ward) at Ramsgate but I really could not give a monkey’s what league they put us in, the main thing is it has a “Ryman” in front of it!

“The club may have wanted to get the chance to host Kent sides for the gates but I am not convinced it would affect our gates that much.

“We generally do ok, we are not the sort of club to only get 40 odd through the gate, we do ok considering really so I would expect more next year with the added interest of promotion and anyway, looking at the South it doesn’t exactly have the likes of a Maidstone or an AFC Wimbledon in it does it?!

“In terms of travelling distances the North is actually ok and for the most part the away games are closer. We just need to get DartTags issued when the lads sign on!

“The only exception is Lowestoft, surely the league have made a mistake with that one and meant to put them in the Northern Premier?!’

Foley has yet unveiled any summer signings, but said, “The entire squad is coming back for pre-season and I have never been one for chasing round in May and June.

“We know who we want and we also know who wants to come down to us but I have been round football long enough to know it means nothing at this time of year.

“Loads of players have expressed an interest, they were interested before we got promotion because players talk to each other and that says to me we are doing things right.

“Come the end of July the squad gets buttoned down but we are not looking at loads, maybe one or two but that’s it at the moment.

“Before that we need to know what budget is on offer anyway, otherwise Frosty, Silks and me better get some new boots for the Ryman!”

Quotes courtesy of www.vcd-athletic.co.uk