Ramsgate welcome Moroccans' representative side - EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

The Football Association have given consent to an international friendly to be played at Southwood Stadium next Wednesday, 21^st March, when a Moroccan Representative XI will play Ramsgate, writes Stephen McCartney.

The Moroccan representative team will be made up from players who currently ply their trade in English non-league football and lower professional League cubs and is the brainchild of Molesey goalkeeper Chuck Martini, a former full Moroccan international with over 250 League appearances.

Martini started out as a YTS with Tottenham Hotspur before spells at Wimbledon (2 years), and six years at Wycombe Wanderers, winning two FA Trophies, a Conference title and a Division Three play-off final under Martin O’Neil.

After this Chuck moved to the USA where he played professionally for Dallas and Connecticut, before returning to the UK in 1999 to spend two years with Kings Lynn before playing for Sutton United, Kingstonian and Molesey.

He has also played for Kent clubs Maidstone United, Folkestone Invicta and Bromley.

However, before that showpiece fixture, Ramsgate welcome Harrow Borough to Southwood Stadium on Saturday before travelling to bogey side Tonbridge Angels in the Kent Senior Cup on Monday night.

Harrow Borough are currently in the bottom four in the Ryman Premier League table, but assistant manager Danny Ward recalls it was his side that started the north-west Londoners slump.

Before the Thanet side travelled to Earlsmead Stadium, Borough had collected twenty points from their opening ten games.

But Ramsgate’s 3-1 win on 14^th October caused a loss of form and Borough went on to lose their next nine league games, and have collected only 12 points since then.

“We beat them 3-1 up at their place, one of our best performances of the season, but at the time they were going well and they’ve come down a bit since then,” Danny Ward said EXCLUISIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

“I still expect them to be a tough game - they’re a big club.”

“I think it was us that started their slump. We beat them and I don’t think they’ve recovered.”

Ramsgate go into Saturday’s game with 52 points and with nine games remaining Ward hasn’t given up on his side reaching the play-off’s.

In the league table published on the official Ryman League website, AFC Wimbledon are still second in the table - as the Kingsmeadow club are appealing against their eighteen point deduction.

“We will never give up on it,” said the younger Ward. “It’s obviously going to be difficult but with nine games to go and 27 points to play for, I won’t give up until it’s mathematically impossible.”

But the Rams welcome back goalkeeper Paul Wilkerson from suspension on Saturday and key players will feature against Tony Dolby’s side and the Moroccans next week.

Ward said: “If we played to the performance we played against East Thurrock last Saturday we expect to win those (last remaining league) games.

“Our players are coming back to full fitness, Warren Schulz, Shaun Welford and Dean Hill.

“We’ve got them all coming back in the next week, which should be good.”

Ward admits he’s missed these players, especially as the club have picked up four wins, six defeats and a draw since the turn of the year.

“We’ve missed them big time,” he said. “We haven’t got enough money, not got the biggest squad and need them playing at the best of their ability.”

Ward wants Ramsgate to reach the semi-finals of the Kent Senior Cup on Monday night with a win over bogey side Tonbridge Angels.

“We’re hoping to owe Tonbridge one and do well in the Kent Senior Cup and Wednesday we’ll get players back to full fitness.

“There will be a few fringe players and they will definitely get a run out in both games but no-one will get a full run out in both matches that’s for sure - but we’ll look at the youngsters that’s for sure,” Ward said from the Cheltenham Festival.

Visit Ramsgate’s website:  www.ramsgate-fc.co.uk

Ramsgate v Harrow Borough
Ryman Premier League
Saturday 17^th March 2007
Kick Off 3:00pm
At Southwood Stadium, Prices Avenue, Ramsgate CT11 0AN